Type:
Educational Exhibit
Keywords:
Anatomy, Abdomen, Thorax, CT, Ultrasound, MR, Normal variants, Congenital
Authors:
B. Buckley, G. Kassab, A. N. Murphy, B. Gibney; Dublin/IE
DOI:
10.26044/ecr2019/C-3222
Background
Pattern recognition is a critical skill in radiology and an often-used tool in training and education.
This usually involves regognition of a pattern of appearances related to the physiological and anatomical changes of the process being imaged.
However,
visual patterns can also be perceived within an image which are not actually present due to the human tendancy to create patterns from random or unrelated stimuli.
This process is termed 'Pareidolia' [1].
Paredolia results in association of abstract or complex imaging findings with an easily memorable 'sign'.
A radiology sign which references a resemblance to something which is not actually present with an image has been termed a 'metaphorical' sign,
with over 680 identified in a review by Baker et al in 2013 [2].
Radiological signs serve as a useful reminder of disease entities and can be pathognomonic of certain diagnoses or help create a narrowed differential.
Some radiologists have looked no further than their own body for inspiration in creating new pattern recognition of disease entities!
Many radiology signs utilise the resemblance of abnormal findings to the visual or radiological appearance of normal anatomical structures to aid in identification,
interpretation and teaching.
Our review of the literature found no previous summary of radiological signs which resemble normal human anatomy.
These classic radiographic,
computed tomographic (CT),
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI),
and sonographic (US) signs are organized into their respective systems and described in this pictorial essay.