Radiology: Glossary of Terms for Medical Imaging

This is a type of imaging technique that uses electromagnetic radiation of extremely short wavelength to generate pictures of inside the human body.
Ultrasonography: a radiologic technique in which deep structures of the body are visualized by recording the reflections (echoes) of ultrasonic waves directed into the tissues.
Mammography: An examination method using x-rays to detect cancer in the breast.
Magnetic Resonance: An imaging technique used to visualise the soft tissue inside your body. MRI combines a powerful magnet with radio-frequency pulses. These collect signals that are then processed by a sophisticated computer to form pictures of the inside of your body.
Computed Tomography: Imaging technique used to visualise both the soft tissue and bone inside your body. CT uses special x-rays to obtain image data from different angles around the body. A powerful computer is then used to process the information to show a cross-section of body tissues and organs.
Radiation: The radioactivity comes from the breakdown of atoms. The source can be natural or made in a nuclear reactor. Uncontrolled radiation can be dangerous and cause cancer. Controlled exposure to radiation can be used in medicine for diagnosis.
Fracture: A fracture is a complete or incomplete break in a bone.
Dosimeter: A device carried on the person for measuring the quantity of ionizing radiation to which one has been exposed.
Contrast medium: Substance given to the patient, either through a drink or injection, to help areas of the body show up more clearly during a scan.
Pathology: The branch of medicine that deals with laboratory examination of samples of body tissue for diagnostic and forensic purposes

Radiological protection: It is the science and practice of protecting people and the environment from the harmful effect of ionizing radiation.
Compensating Filter: A device, such as a wedge of aluminum, clay, or plastic, that is placed over a body area during radiography to compensate for differences in radiopacity.
Ultrasound transducer: A device that produces sound waves that bounce off body tissues and make echoes. The transducer also receives the echoes and sends them to a computer that uses them to create a picture called a sonogram.
Interventional Radiology: A specialised area of radiology that uses various imaging techniques to guide the insertion of small instruments and tools through the body to identify and treat a medical disorder without requiring conventional surgery.

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