Imaging and radiology

Radiology is the area of medicine that uses X-rays, magnetic waves and ultrasound to obtain detailed images of the inside of the body. Doctors can then use those images to detect and diagnose illnesses and injuries, as well as to help develop treatment plans.
Radiology refers to several tests that capture various images of the different parts of the body with the help of several types of Electromagnetic Waves. These tests are essential as they help the doctor see inside the body. The many different kinds of tests that fall under Radiology include X-ray imaging, MRI Imaging, Ultrasound Imaging, CT scan, Mammography, Fluoroscopy, and PET Scan

Radiology in healthcare

The role of Radiology is very central to disease management because Radiology provides a wide choice of tools that help detect, stage, and treat diseases. It is essential in healthcare as an early diagnosis by Radiology in Hospitals or Pathology Labs saves lives.
You cannot cure anything without diagnosing it. Therefore, in the current scenario, Radiology has become one of the most important diagnostic tools in the medical Industry. Nearly every Pathology Lab has a Radiology Department. The various roles of Radiology in the medical diagnosis process are as follows:

DIAGNOSTIC RADIOLOGY :

Diagnostic radiology helps health care providers see structures inside your body. Doctors that specialize in the interpretation of these images are called diagnostic radiologists. Using the diagnostic images, the radiologist or other physicians can often:

• Diagnose the cause of your symptoms
• Monitor how well your body is responding to a treatment you are receiving for your disease or condition
• Screen for different illnesses, such as breast cancer, colon cancer, or heart disease

The most common types of diagnostic radiology exams include:

• Computed tomography (CT), also known as a computerized axial tomography (CAT) scan, including CT angiography
• Fluoroscopy, including upper GI and barium enema
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA)
• Mammography
• Nuclear medicine, which includes such tests as a bone scan, thyroid scan, and thallium cardiac stress test
• Plain x-rays, which includes chest x-ray
• Positron emission tomography, also called PET imaging, PET scan, or PET-CT when it is combined with CT
• Ultrasound

INTERVENTIONAL RADIOLOGY :

Interventional radiologists are doctors that use imaging such as CT, ultrasound, MRI, and fluoroscopy to help guide procedures. The imaging is helpful to the doctor when inserting catheters, wires, and other small instruments and tools into your body. This typically allows for smaller incisions (cuts).
Doctors can use this technology to detect or treat conditions in almost any part of the body instead of directly looking inside of your body through a scope (camera) or with open surgery.
Interventional radiologists often are involved in treating cancers or tumors, blockages in the arteries and veins, fibroids in the uterus, back pain, liver problems, and kidney problems. The doctor will make no incision or only a very small one. You rarely need to stay in the hospital after the procedure. Most people need only moderate sedation (medicines to help you relax).

Examples of interventional radiology procedures include:

• Angiography or angioplasty and stent placement
• Embolization to control bleeding
• Cancer treatments including tumor embolization using chemoembolization or Y-90 radioembolization
• Tumor ablation with radiofrequency ablation, cryoablation, or microwave ablation
• Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty
• Needle biopsies of different organs, such as the lungs and thyroid gland
• Breast biopsy, guided either by stereotactic or ultrasound techniques
• Uterine artery embolization