What Is Radiology?

Briefly, it is the science that deals with the study and application of imaging technology such as X-rays and other high-energy radiation, especially the use of such radiation for the diagnosis and treatment of disease.

Radiologists, these days, have an array of imaging technologies that can examine the inner structures within the body to determine their health and condition.

Originally, radiology was the aspect of medical science dealing with the use of electromagnetic energy emitted by X-ray machines or other such radiation devices for the purpose of obtaining visual information as part of medical imaging.

X-ray was discovered in 1895 and remained the only imaging modality available for the first 50 years of radiology. It is still the first protocol used in evaluation of the heart, lings and skeleton. Since the post war development of nuclear medicine many more imaging technologies have emerged to assist illness diagnosis and treatment.

The uses of radiology is broken down into specialities

• Paediatric – the use of imaging in diagnosis of illness in children

• Interventional: this provides and alternative exploratory option to invasive procedures such as surgery. The radiologist uses catheters, guide-wires, needles, balloons, stents, and other devices with radiological imaging capacity to review the site of concern.

• Diagnostic: uses any of the particular methods available to diagnose medical conditions, such as tumors and other abnormalities.

• Therapeutic: where radiological methods are used to actually treat a condition, especially cancer.

The main types are
• Fluoroscopy
• CT Scanning
• Ultrasound
• MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)
• PET

Radiological imaging is used for
• Evaluation of joints, bone and soft tissue abnormalities
• Detection of abnormalities of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis – including cancers (breast). Doctors often use PET/CT scans to detect cancer and find out how far it has advanced. No radiation is involved.

Radiologic imaging include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), X-ray computed tomography (CT) and is applied in nuclear medicine.

Ultrasound procedures are used for ante natal checkups of the developing foetus

Current radiology imaging methods allow physicians to visualize regions of the body previously accessible only through exploratory surgery

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