Anatomy and Function Anatomy ( Table 19.1 ) The oesophagus is a fibromuscular tube that connects the pharynx in the neck to the stomach in the abdomen, traversing the thorax via the superior and posterior mediastinum. It begins below the…
In this section on abdominal imaging, the imaging approach for investigation of pathological processes of the oesophagus, stomach, small bowel, large bowel, peritoneum, liver, biliary system and pancreas are covered in their respective chapters. In this chapter, the relative merits…
The Normal Aorta The aorta is the main artery delivering oxygenated blood from the left ventricle to all parts of the body. In common with other arteries, it has three histologically distinct layers: an intima consisting of a thin endothelial…
Pulmonary Circulation The function of the pulmonary circulation is both to support the lung's metabolic activities and to engage in gas exchange. The pulmonary circulation should not be considered in isolation but, both anatomically and physiologically, as part of a…
Introduction Ischaemic heart disease (IHD) is a complex, heterogeneous and incompletely understood disease that is usually caused by underlying coronary artery disease (CAD). Worldwide, it is the single most common cause of death and its frequency is increasing. Although the…
Nonischaemic heart diseases (NIHDs) account for nearly half of the cardiac deaths. This group of diseases is extremely heterogeneous, including cardiomyopathies (CMPs), valvular problems, cardiac masses and pericardial disease. Modern noninvasive imaging techniques have increased diagnostic accuracy for all these…
Introduction Although rare, with an incidence of 8 per 1000 births, congenital heart disease (CHD) has increased in prevalence due to the success of surgical and medical management in childhood. A significant proportion of patients with repaired CHD surviving to…
Knowledge of the cardiac anatomy is essential for identifying and understanding cardiovascular disease in patients and is therefore important in clinical practice. To date, various imaging techniques such as conventional chest radiography, cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), computed tomography (CT) and…
Introduction Diseases of the air spaces are remarkably common, yet, the radiological approach to diagnosis is often considered challenging. In part, this is because a pattern of airspace opacification is non-specific ( Table 11.1 ). However, at its simplest, this…
Thoracic Trauma Introduction The thorax contains the organs most essential to basic life: namely, the heart, lungs and the largest and most important of the blood vessels. The alveoli of the lungs allow exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide and…