Need help on medical terminology

[csutherland]

We got the imaging report on Jerry's CT scan. There are some terms that are new to me: "the proximal portion just above the circumflex artery level measures approximately 4.9 cm AP and 5.2 cm transverse dimension." So what does AP mean?
Another puzzle: "More cephalic, the AP & transverse dimension approximately 5.2.x5.1 cm. That is near the bifurcation of the main right & left pulmonary arteries."

I've not looked at a CT scan report before, but his echo & TEE reports are pretty easy to interpret compared to this. Dr K in St Louis does want to see Jerry next week, so we're not sure what he sees in the films (if anything). That's why I'm trying to figure out what this mumbo-jumbo means, especially the abbreviation AP.

If nobody knows, can you refer me to a site that give these definitions?

Thanks!

 

[LLJ]

AP is anterior posterior. Cephalic is opposite of caudal so it means more toward the head.
Laura

 

[LLJ]

I should add : proximal is opposite of distal. Proximal means closest to the center of the thing you are measuring. For instance toes are distal to the knee. Bifurcation is the split where the pulmonary artery goes off right and left. It sounds like the docotr is measuring the circumfrence of the srtery front to back and across(transverse). Does that help? I don't know what the normals are for what he is measuring. I'm sure one of the members here have the info!
Laura