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Dr. John O’Keefe welcomed Dr. Bob Wood to speak about a clinical case that shows important incidental radiographic findings. Dr. Wood is a dental radiologist and a forensic dentist. He is also Chief of Dentistry at Princess Margaret Hospital. The radiograph shown and shared in this video presentation is courtesy of our valuable CDA Oasis contributor Dr. Jessica Metcalfe. We hope you find the information valuable and we always welcome your feedback, suggestions and questions at oasisdiscussions@cda-adc.ca Until next time! Chiraz Guessaier |
Highlights
Important Principles of radiographic Interpretation
- An essential first step is to ensure that there are an adequate number of images of diagnostic quality that display the region of interest in its entirety.
- When using plain or projection images, multiple images at slightly different projection angles and images exposed at right angles to one another often provide significant additional information.
- When appropriate, the use of advanced forms of diagnostic imaging can also provide valuable diagnostic information.
- Recent research has shown that the employment of a systematic search strategy by novice clinicians improves their ability to detect abnormalities in panoramic images. A systematic search strategy involves the identification of a list of normal anatomic structures that would be contained within the image.
- Understanding the basic disease mechanism underlying the changes that each type of abnormality can render in the diagnostic image is more effective in enhancing a clinician’s diagnostic accuracy.
- The non-analytic strategy: assumes that simply viewing an abnormal finding automatically leads to a holistic diagnostic hypothesis, which is followed by a deliberate search for features that support the initial hypothesis.
- The analytic or systematic strategy: a step-by-step analysis of all the imaging features of an abnormal finding so that a diagnosis can be made based on these findings.
Full Case Presentation (9.44″)
An excellent reminder to slow down and use the diagnostic tools available to us! In this day and age of moving fast, it’s important to follow a disciplined approach despite the fast pace tempted to us by others today.