Diagnostic X-Rays, Ultrasound, and Nuclear Medicine
X-rays use invisible electromagnetic energy beams to produce images of internal tissues,
bones and organs on film or digital media. Standard X-rays are performed for many
reasons,
including diagnosing tumors or bone injuries. X-ray technology is used in many types of diagnostic procedures, such as arteriograms, computed tomography (CT) scans and fluoroscopy.
How X-rays work
During an X-ray, different parts of the body allow varying amounts
of X-ray beams to pass through:
- Soft tissues in the body (such as blood, skin, fat and muscle) allow most of the X-ray to pass through and appear dark gray on the film or digital media.
- A bone or a tumor, which is denser than soft tissue, allows only a few of the X-rays to pass through and appears white on the X-ray. At a break in a bone, the X-ray beam passes through the broken area and appears as a dark line in the white bone.
Ultrasound (or sonography) uses reflected sound waves to create real-time images of soft tissues, including muscles, blood vessels and organs. Because sound waves are used, there is no radiation exposure during this procedure.
Although most commonly used to examine the fetus during pregnancy, it is also an effective tool for monitoring blood flow using Doppler ultrasound technology. Stringfellow Memorial offers 4-D ultrasound imaging, which provides a 3-D picture in real time. Ultrasound can be used to discover abnormalities in organs, and detect narrowed arteries, clotted veins, or growths such as tumors and cysts.
Stringfellow Memorial offers a variety of ultrasound procedures, including:
- Obstetric and breast ultrasound exams
- Ultrasound-guided biopsies of the breast, kidney, liver and thyroid
- Paracentesis and thoracentesis
Nuclear medicine is a specialized area of radiology that uses very small amounts of radioactive materials (given either orally or intravenously) to examine an organ’s structure and metabolic function, and is used to:
- Scan organs for abnormalities
- Evaluate the spread of cancer
- Locate infection
- Identify blood clots in the lungs
Sophisticated scanning technology
Stringfellow Memorial’s nuclear medicine technologists utilize advanced technology that delivers results quickly so doctors can begin treatment as soon as possible. We offer a wide range of diagnostic imaging services, including:
- Brain scans
- Breast scans
- Heart scans, including myocardial perfusion scans
- Red cell mass studies, to diagnose blood diseases or evaluate blood loss
- Renal scans, to examine kidney function
- Thyroid uptake scans
- Tumor imaging
- Whole-body bone scans