The range of imaging techniques now available to physicians ensures that injuries and illnesses can be quickly diagnosed without the need for exploratory surgery in many cases.
There are four imaging techniques that are widely used in modern diagnostic medicine, and the best technique is selected based on the nature and location of the injury and the patient’s medical history.
X-ray imaging for the diagnosis of skeletal disorders
An x-ray is the preferred imaging test option to diagnose bone lesions and determine their severity. An X-ray analysis is a fast and efficient imaging technique in which X-rays pass through the body in a short pulse and the image is captured on a digital flat panel detector.
The resultant bone scan It is used primarily to diagnose problems with the skeletal system, although an X-ray can also be used to help diagnose lung problems, intestinal obstructions, and kidney stones. The benefits of this technique are limited as X-ray images lack the sensitivity necessary to diagnose most soft tissue injuries.
Computed tomography
Computed tomography is an imaging technique first developed in 1947, although it took the work of Dr. Alan Cormack and Godfrey Hounsfield – two British engineers – to develop the process into what we know today. Instead of passing X-rays through the body to create a two-dimensional image, a CT scan creates a three-dimensional image of an internal structure.
CT scans take tomographic imaging in multiple directions, essentially compiling a series of two-dimensional X-ray images to build a three-dimensional image of an organ or tissue. Therefore, a CT scan is a more powerful imaging test than the standard X-ray. radiographs.
A CT scan can distinguish tissues with different densities of as little as 1%, making this advanced x-ray imaging technique useful for the diagnosis of most internal soft tissue injuries, although the radiation dose that a patient receives from this type of test is higher than a standard X-ray scan.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), also known as magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) uses magnetic fields instead of X-rays to generate a three-dimensional image of the body. The technique produces clearer images of soft tissues than can be generated with X-rays, the technique preferred to computed tomography for brain scans and with tumor detection.
An important benefit of MRI imaging comes from the fact that it does not use potentially harmful ionizing radiation to generate an image, reducing the risk to patients’ health. However, patients with implants such as pacemakers, insulin pumps, prostheses, or metal implants cannot undergo this type of test due to the high risk of injury.
The cost of an MRI can be prohibitive for many patients, with other scanning techniques, such as computed tomography, a lower-cost alternative.
Ultra sound
Ultrasound imaging, also known as ultrasound – involves the use of high-frequency sound waves to generate real-time images of internal organs, muscles, tendons, and other soft tissues. Ultrasound can determine the position, structure, and size of internal organs and soft tissues and is an invaluable imaging technique for monitoring a baby’s health during pregnancy.
Ultrasound is a low-cost imaging technique that can be administered in many settings due to the portability of the equipment. Ultrasound also has no known health risks and does not use ionizing radiation.
Resume
Modern imaging techniques are non-invasive, quick and painless, and allow doctors to see under the skin and diagnose medical problems quickly. Patients can be quickly diagnosed with an illness or injury to ensure that the most effective treatment can be started in the shortest time possible.
The use of X-ray images is not without risks to the patient, although improved technology and advances in radiography techniques ensure that patients are now only exposed to low doses of radiation, without compromising the accuracy and clarity of the images. test scores.