Oh, there most certainly is loss of the cerebral cortex. I can see that at any level. I also see very prominent cortical atrophy in some elderly patients that aren't the sharpest pencils in the box any more but walk in and out of our department.
My point, was to expose the "fake but accurate" tricks used by the selection of two images acquired at different anatomical levels that normally demonstrate a great difference in the amount of CSF seen in a normal person.
Compare the appearance of a normal brain at the level of the third ventricle (third ventricle is labeled with the "D" arrow) and the anterior horns (anterior horns are labeled with the "C" arrow)......
.........and the appearance of a normal brain at the level of the body of the lateral ventricles (lateral ventricles are labeled with the "C" arrow).
If you really want to impress a layman with the difference in "the amount of black stuff on her CT", you can compare the lateral ventricle level with the level just above the lateral ventricles.
The point I am trying to make is not whether Schiavo was salvageable or not. I do not have the necessary information to arrive at a meaningful opinion on that.
My point is that "fake but accurate" reporting tricks have become a standard operating procedure with the news media. That affects everything from the truth about what Schiavo's condition actually was to whether or not the U.S. will achieve final victory in the Iraq War before the news media totally demoralize the American Home Front with their "fake but accurate" reporting.
Media Use False Photo to Smear Marines on Haditha [Malkin Hat Tip]