Imaging Studies

Imaging studies are non-invasive or minimally invasive, painless tests in which x-rays, sound waves and other methods are used to produce pictures of the inside of your body for diagnostic purposes. CT scans, mammograms, MRIs, thermography, elastography, PET scans and ultrasonography all fit under this heading – as do nuclear medicine scans (computed tomography), where a tiny camera may be employed inside the body rather than the scan being done from the outside. While radiology technicians are often responsible for obtaining imaging scans, it requires a specially trained radiologist to interpret the results and provide certain interventional treatments. Relatively recent developments in medical imaging have made it possible to acquire 3-dimensional images of body structures via CT, MRI and ultrasound scans, which has greatly enhanced physicians’ ability to visualize and diagnose a wide variety of health conditions.