Medical Imaging Glossary

Medical Imaging Specialties & Definitions

The term "medical imaging" covers several specialties that use a wide array of methods and technologies to aid physicians in making diagnoses. While medical imaging professionals may take different career paths, they are all extremely important to the process of providing quality patient care and treatment plans. Here are a few common career paths in the medical imaging field:

Radiography

Radiography is the profession in which diagnostic medical images are made using x-rays and other radiations. The radiographer may work independently or with a physician to create images in the areas of computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance (MR), mammography, cardiovascular interventional technology (CIT) and others.

Nuclear Medicine

Nuclear medicine is the profession that utilizes radiopharmaceuticals, scintillation cameras and computers to image and quantify various physiologic processes throughout the body. The nuclear medicine technologist administers radiopharmaceuticals to patients, positions them for images and operates the cameras and computers to produce the images and analyze the data.

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy is the profession in which radiations are directed at diseased tissues in strictly controlled circumstances to cure or palliate the disease. The radiation therapist is in daily contact with the cancer patient, positioning them for treatment, performing mathematical calculations of radiation dosage and operating a variety of equipment that produces ionizing radiation.

Ultrasound / Sonography

Ultrasound sonography careers use equipment that generates high frequency sound waves to produce images of the human body. Using medical imaging procedures and personal initiative, the sonographer gathers data for interpretation and evaluation by the physician. This profession includes abdominal sonography, neurosonography, echocardiography, obstetrical and pelvic sonography, and vascular technology.

Computed Tomography (CT)

Computed tomography (CT), sometimes called CAT scan, uses special x-ray equipment to obtain many images from different angles and then join them together to show a cross-section of body tissues and organs. CT scanning provides more detailed information on head injuries, stroke, brain tumors and other brain diseases than do regular radiographs (plain x-ray films). It also can show bone, soft tissues and blood vessels in the same images. CT of the head and brain is a patient-friendly exam that involves radiation exposure.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) uses radiofrequency waves and a strong magnetic field rather than x-rays to provide remarkably clear and detailed pictures of internal organs and tissues. The technique has proven very valuable for the diagnosis of a broad range of pathologic conditions in all parts of the body including cancer, heart and vascular disease, stroke, and joint and musculoskeletal disorders. MRI requires specialized equipment and expertise and allows evaluation of some body structures that may not be as visible with other medical imaging methods.