ARRT Pathology Recognition 3

Question 1

A patient with known Crohn's disease undergoes CT enterography. Which finding most specifically indicates active inflammation?

Accepted Answer

Bowel wall thickening with mural hyperenhancement and the comb sign

Answer

Active Crohn's disease shows mural hyperenhancement, wall thickening, and engorged vasa recta (comb sign) on CT enterography.

Question 2

On a non-contrast CT of the abdomen, a renal calculus most likely to be missed is composed of which material?

Accepted Answer

Indinavir (drug-related)

Answer

Indinavir stones are radiolucent and have very low Hounsfield units, making them nearly invisible on non-contrast CT.

Question 3

A CT chest in a patient with AIDS shows bilateral ground-glass opacities in a 'bat-wing' distribution. The most likely diagnosis is:

Accepted Answer

Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia

Answer

PCP (Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia) classically presents with bilateral perihilar ground-glass opacities in immunocompromised patients.

Question 4

CT of the neck in a patient with a palpable mass shows a cystic lesion at the angle of the mandible deep to the sternocleidomastoid muscle. This is most consistent with:

Accepted Answer

Branchial cleft cyst

Answer

Branchial cleft cysts characteristically appear as unilocular cystic masses at the angle of the mandible adjacent to the sternocleidomastoid muscle.

Question 5

Which feature on CT best distinguishes a benign adrenal adenoma from a metastasis?

Accepted Answer

Attenuation less than 10 HU on non-contrast CT

Answer

Adrenal adenomas are lipid-rich and typically measure less than 10 HU on unenhanced CT, a reliable distinguishing feature from metastases.

(ARRT) American Registry of Radiologic Technologists Computed Tomography Certification Practice Test

(ARRT) American Registry of Radiologic Technologists Computed Tomography Certification Practice Test

ARRT Pathology Recognition 3