LOM - Ch. 20 Radiology & Nuclear Med

abduction

movement away from the midline of the body

adduction

movement toward the midline of the body

angiogram

X-ray record of a blood vessel

anteroposterior

In this AP x-ray view, x-rays travel from an anteriorly placed source to a posteriorly placed detector (x-ray beam passes from the front to the back of the body)

bone scan

uptake of a radioactive substance is measured in bone

cholangiography

x-ray recording of bile vessels (ducts) using radiopaque contrast medium

computed tomography

cross-sectional x-ray imaging of an organ (such as the brain or spinal cord), with or without contrast material

contrast studies

material (contrast media) is injected into vessels and organs to obtain contrast with surrounding tissues when viewed on x-ray and other mages.

decubitus

lying down on one’s side with the x-ray beam horizontally positioned

echocardiography

sound waves are used to image the structure of the heart

eversion

turning outward

extension

lengthening or straightening a flexed limb

flexion

decreasing the angle between two bones, as in bending a limb

fluoroscopy

process of using x-rays to produce an image on a fluorescent screen

gamma camera

machine to detect gamma rays given off by radiopharmaceuticals (radioactive compounds) during scanning for diagnostic purposes).

gamma rays

high-energy rays emitted by radioactive substances in tracer studies

half-life

time required for a radioactive substance to lose half its radioactivity by disintegration

hysterosalpingogram

imaging record of the uterus and fallopian tubes

hysterosonogram

catheter inserted into the vagina and cervical canal to the uterus, which is then examined by ultrasound imaging

in vitro

process, test, or procedure performed, measured, or observed outside a living organism

in vivo

process, test, or procedure performed, measured, or observed within a living organism

interventional radiology

therapeutic procedures performed by a radiologist

inversion

turning inward

ionization

transformation of electrically neutral substances into electrically charged particles

labeled compound

combination of a radioactive substance (radionuclide) and a drug; used in nuclear medicine studies

lymphoscintigraphy

nuclear medicine imaging which provides pictures (scintigrams) of the lymphatic system

magnetic resonance imaging

magnetic waves and radio waves are used to produce images of organs and tissues in all three planes of the body

myelography

x-ray image of the spinal cord after injection of contrast into the membranes surrounding the spinal cord

nuclear medicine

medical specialty that studies the uses of radioactive substances (radionuclides and radiopharmaceuticals) in the diagnosis of disease

oblique

positioned at an angle; an x-ray view

positron-emission tomography (PET)

radionuclides given intravenously emit positrons, which create a cross-sectional image of cellular metabolism in specialized areas of the body

posteroanterior

in this position, x-ray beams pass from the back to the front of the body

prone

lying on the belly (face down)

pyelogram

x-ray record of the kidneys (renal pelvis) and urinary tract after contrast is injected (intravenously or retrograde)

radiographer

one who assists a radiologist in performing diagnostic x-ray procedures

radioimmunoassay

test combines radioactive chemicals and antibodies to detect minute quantities of substances in a patient’s blood

radioisotope

radioactive form of an element; radionuclide

radiolabeled compound

radiopharmaceutical; used in nuclear medicine studies

radiology

study of x-ray and other energy sources in the diagnosis of disease

radiolucent

permitting the passage of x-rays

radionuclide

radioactive form of an element; gives off energy in the form of radiation; radioisotope

radiopaque

obstructing the passage of x-rays

radiopharmaceutical

radioactive drug (radionuclide plus a drug) that is administered safely for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes

recumbent

lying down (prone or supine)

scan

image of an area, organ, or tissue of the body obtained from ultrasound, radioactive tracer studies, or computed tomography

single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)

radioactive tracer is injected intravenously, and a computer reconstructs a three-dimensional image based on a composite of many views

sonogram

image of sound waves as they bounce off organs in the body; echogram or ultrasound image

supine

lying on the back

tagging

attaching a radionuclide to a chemical and following its path in the body

technetium Tc 99m sestamibi scan

uptake of a radioactive chemical (technetium Tc 99m sestamibi) in myocardium reveals evidence of a heart attack (myocardial infarction)

thallium scan

thallium 201 is injected intravenously to allow for myocardial perfusion and assess damage to heart muscle from heart attacks

therapeutic

pertaining to treatment or therapy

thyroid scan

administration of a radioactive compound and visualization of the thyroid gland with a scanning device

tomography

process of taking a series of images to show an organ in layers or depth

tracer studies

radionuclides are attached to chemicals, used as tags or markers, and followed as they travel through the body

ultrasonography

ultrasonography is the use of high frequency sound waves to produce a record or picture of an organ or tissue

ultrasound transducer

handheld device that sends and receives ultrasound signals

uptake

rate of absorption of a radionuclide into an organ or tissue

urography

process of taking x-ray images of the urinary tract after injecting contrast

ventilation-perfusion studies

radiopharmaceutical is inhaled (ventilation study) and injected intravenously (perfusion study) followed by imaging its passage through the respiratory tract

angi/o

blood vessel

therapeut/o

treatment

radi/o

x-rays

son/o

sound

vitr/o

glass

-therapy

treatment (suffix)

-gram

record (suffix)

-opaque

obscure (suffix)

-graphy

process of recording (suffix)

echo-

a repeated sound (prefix)

-lucent

to shine (suffix)