Diagnostic Imaging

Summary

Diagnostic imaging lets doctors look inside your body for clues about a medical condition. A variety of machines and techniques can create pictures of the structures and activities inside your body. The type of imaging your doctor uses depends on your symptoms and the part of your body being examined. They include:

• X-rays
• CT scans
• Nuclear medicine scans
• MRI scans
• Ultrasound

Many imaging tests are painless and easy. Some require you to stay still for a long time inside a machine. This can be uncomfortable. Certain tests involve exposure to a small amount of radiation.

For some imaging tests, doctors insert a tiny camera attached to a long, thin tube into your body. This tool is called a scope. The doctor moves it through a body passageway or opening to see inside a particular organ, such as your heart, lungs, or colon. These procedures often require anesthesia.

National Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Bioimaging

Learn More

• American College of Radiology Accredited Facility Search American College of Radiology
• Contrast Materials Radiological Society of North America
• How to Read Your Radiology Report Radiological Society of North America
• Imaging and radiology Medical Encyclopedia
• Keeping Kids Still during Exams American Society of Radiologic Technologists
• Medical Scans Explained: A Look Inside the Body National Institutes of Health
• Overview of Imaging Tests Merck & Co., Inc.
• Radiation Dose from X-Ray and CT Exams Radiological Society of North America
• Tracing the X-Ray Trail American Society of Radiologic Technologists
• What Is Interventional Radiology (IR)? Nemours Foundation

Journal Articles

• Diagnostic Imaging