Article
Article
Medical imaging
Article By:
Lopiano, Michael American College of Radiology, Reston, Virginia.
Del Fava, Raymond Public Information Committee, American College of Radiology, Reston, Virginia.
Last reviewed:May 2021
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.412850
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- Medical imaging, published June 2014:Download PDF
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A medical specialty that uses x-rays, gamma rays, high-frequency sound waves, and magnetic fields to produce images of organs and other internal structures of the body. Medical imaging is used to produce visual representations of body parts, tissues, or organs, and is an important tool for clinical diagnosis. Some of the most important techniques involve x-ray methods (Fig. 1), magnetic resonance imaging, computerized tomography, positron emission tomography, and single-photon emission computed tomography. In diagnostic radiology, the purpose of medical imaging is to detect and diagnose disease; in interventional radiology, imaging procedures are combined with other techniques to treat certain diseases and abnormalities. See also: Disease; Medicine; Radiography; Radiology
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