After your imaging exam, a radiologist reads the images and reports what they see to your referring doctor. You can use this dictionary to look up words in your report.
Enter a word in the search bar or look it up by letter. This dictionary is for educational purposes only. It should not be used for self-diagnosis or self-treatment. It is not a substitute for medical advice. Please talk to the doctor who ordered your exam if you have any questions about your report.
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There are currently 111 names in this directory
A
abnormal
when tissue on an image doesn't have an expected or typical appearance; may or may not be signs of disease or injury
abnormal enhancement
an increase in the flow of fluids and other small molecules through the walls of a blood vessel in response to inflammation or tumor; appears as a bright area on an image
architectural distortion
an area on a mammogram that shows breast tissue changes without an underlying visible mass
ascites
fluid in the space between the liver, intestines and other organs in the stomach area; also known as free fluid
aspiration
using suction to take cells or fluid out of the body; can also mean inhaling fluid, food or other material into the lung
atelectasis
decreased inflation of part of the lung, which may vary from small (subsegmental) to large (collapse)
B
BI-RADS
Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System; a standard way to report findings related to breast imaging using a scale from 0 to 6
bibasilar atelectasis
decreased inflation of part of both lower lungs, which may vary from small (subsegmental) to large (collapse)
breast calcification
a build up of calcium in breast tissue that is very common and usually not cancer
C
CAD-RADS
Coronary Artery Disease Reporting and Data System; a standard way to report how the coronary arteries have narrowed
calcium score
a calculation based on the amount of plaque seen on a CT in an artery; based on factors such as age, sex and race
connective tissue
tissue that supports, protects and gives structure to other tissues and organs, such as bone and cartilage
conscious sedation
a type of medicine to help a patient relax and lower any discomfort or pain; patients may feel sleepy but can still respond to their care team
D
Deauville Score
a standard scoring system used in PET imaging to see how well a patient responds to treatment for lymphoma
degenerative pattern
a pattern that suggests radiotracer absorption is due to changes that appear with aging
E
F
FDG avid
an area in the body that absorbs fluorodeoxyglucose; used to describe how cells that use glucose change quickly
fluoroscopy
a type of imaging that takes X-rays in real time (like a video) to help a radiologist see inside the body
free fluid
build up of fluid in the abdomen or pelvis; also known as free intraperitoneal fluid, free intra-abdominal fluid or ascites
G
H
hydronephrosis
kidney swelling caused by the build up of urine when it can't drain from the kidney to the bladder
hypodensity
a finding on a CT that appears less dense, or darker, than tissue around it OR change in tissue that appears darker than nearby tissue on an image
I
L
lung needle biopsy
a minimally invasive procedure {{LINK}} that uses a CT scan to guide a needle into lung tissue and take a small sample for testing
M
mammographic asymmetry
an area in one breast that looks different from other areas in the same breast or the other breast
motion artifact
a result when a patient moves during an imaging exam; it may show up as blurring, streaking or shading on the images and make it harder for radiologists to find diseases and injuries
N
neoplasm
an abnormal mass of tissue that forms when cells grow and divide more than they should or do not die when they should
O
P
parenchymal pattern
a pattern that shows the relation of fibroglandular breast tissue to fatty breast tissue
percutaneous
through the skin; a minimally invasive procedure where a needle is placed through the skin instead of making a large incision
perifissural nodule
a round, oval or triangular lung nodule found along the fissures that divide the lung into lobes; usually not cancer
plaque
build up of cholesterol, calcium and other substances in the walls of a blood vessel; may slow down or block blood flow through a vessel
pneumoperitoneum
air outside of the bowel in the space between the liver, intestines and other organs in the stomach area; often normal after surgery but can also indicate a serious illness
R
radiotracer
a very small amount of radioactive material injected into the body to show healthy and diseased tissue; used to make images of processes in the body
S
scintigraphy
a type of imaging that creates a picture by finding where radiation is released by a radiotracer
stenosis
narrowing of a valve or blood vessel (vein or artery), which slows or blocks normal blood flow
T
U
uterine fibroid embolization
a minimally invasive procedure to shrink fibroids; uses X-rays to guide a catheter into arteries in the uterus, inject contrast and small particles called embolic agents to block the blood supply to the fibroid, causing it to shrink
W
wall thickening
inflammation or infection of the wall of a hollow organ, such as the intestines or bladder
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