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Radiology is the branch of medicine that deals with imaging procedures, to diagnose and treat different diseases. Depending on the purpose, radiology can be classified into diagnostic and interventional radiology. A doctor who specializes in radiology is called a radiologist.
Diagnostic radiology helps the healthcare professional to visualize the structures inside the body through images. These images can be interpreted by a radiologist, which is useful in diagnosing different conditions like a fracture, breast cancer, heart diseases, etc. Some of the most common diagnostic radiology examinations are X-rays, Ultrasound, Computed Tomography (CT), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Mammography, Fluoroscopy, and Positron Emission Tomography (PET).
Interventional radiology is a minimally invasive imaging technique, where images are used to guide treatment or diagnosis. Examples of interventional radiology are angiography, angioplasty, stent placement, needle biopsy of organs, tumor ablation, catheter placement, etc.
A radiologist helps the treating doctor to come to a diagnosis by correlating the images and lab tests. So, a radiologist is very important in diagnosing serious conditions like cancer and heart diseases. Modern technological advances have made it very easy to consult a radiologist online, so your radiographic images can be interpreted by a trained professional.
The medical specialty that uses imaging techniques, such as X-ray, computed tomography (CT) scan, ultrasound, nuclear medicine, etc., to diagnose and treat medical conditions is called radiology.
The two common types of radiology are:
- Diagnostic radiology - It is used to diagnose the cause of the symptoms that the patient is experiencing. Examples include CT scan, MRI, mammography, and ultrasound.
- Interventional radiology - The use of imaging techniques to guide therapeutic procedures. Examples include angiography, embolization, needle biopsies, and vertebroplasty.
Physicians who are trained in diagnostic or interventional radiology are called radiologists. They perform tests to diagnose a condition and an interventional radiologist treats cancer, blocks in the arteries, liver and kidney problems, and uterine fibroids using interventional radiology.
Some of the conditions that a radiologist treats are angioplasty and stent placement for heart blockages, embolization to control bleeding, chemo or radioembolization to treat cancer, etc.
An interventional radiologist does perform image-guided and minimally invasive surgeries. For example, performing biopsies, drain abscesses, insert catheters, and stent placement.
Radiologists, with the help of various imaging techniques, have improved the diagnosis and treatment of different types of cancer.
The various imaging techniques used in radiology help your doctor see your internal organs without the need to open you up. It helps in the early detection of cancer, thus reducing the mortality rate. Most of the imaging techniques are painless and the treatment can be done using minimally invasive procedures.
You will have to consult a radiologist when your primary care physician wants you to get a diagnostic imaging test.
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