Whether your looking into Radiology / Radiography as a career or are
just beginning your training all the terms, lingo and acronyms that get
thrown around can be confusing. Were starting a segment where we will
give you a glossary of Radiology / Radiography terms, one letter each
day so you can absorb this in bite size chunks. Here we go...
CAD - computer-assisted detection, a use of computerized functions to help in diagnosis.
computed tomography scan (Also called a CT or
CAT scan.) - a diagnostic imaging procedure that uses a combination of
x-rays and computer technology to produce cross-sectional images (often
called slices), both horizontally and vertically, of the body. A CT scan
shows detailed images of any part of the body, including the bones,
muscles, fat, and organs. CT scans are more detailed than general
x-rays.
Contrast or contrast media - A radiopaque
substance used during an X-ray exam (or some MRI exams) to provide
visual contrast in the pictures of different tissues and organs. Can be
given orally or intravenously (by injection).
Coronary angiography - This is a study of the
blood vessels which supply the muscle of the heart (coronary arteries).
By threading a long narrow flexible catheter through an accessible
blood vessel (usually in the groin or arm), the individual coronary
arteries are injected with a small quantity of X-ray dye, which helps
radiologists look for blockages (stenoses). Cardiac catheterization
refers to the technique of performing coronary angiography, whereby
catheters are threaded into the heart and coronary arteries.
CCTA – A coronary angiogram that is performed on a CT unit without the need for a catheter into the blood vessels.