When you receive a radiology report, you might notice the phrase “recommend correlation with labs.” This means the imaging findings are not enough on their own, and your doctor should…
Pleural thickening is a term found on radiology reports of the chest. The pleura are thin layers of tissue that line the lungs and the inside of the chest wall….
When you read a chest CT or X-ray report, you may see the term “subpleural reticulation.” In simple terms, it describes a certain type of pattern that radiologists see in…
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sometimes uses an injectable contrast dye to make tissues and abnormalities easier to see. Most MRI contrast agents contain gadolinium. They help radiologists spot small tumors,…
Brain MRI reports may mention “nonspecific white matter changes.” These words don’t point to a single disease. Rather, they describe areas in the brain’s white matter (the part connecting different…
Pulmonary micronodule is a term you may see on a chest CT report. This is simply a descriptive word radiologists use when they see very small spots in the lungs….
When you see the phrase “central necrosis” on a radiology report, it refers to an area in the middle of a mass or tissue that has died. This finding is…
When a radiology report says short-interval follow-up, it means the radiologist wants you to come back sooner than usual for another scan. This doesn’t automatically mean there’s a serious problem….
When you receive a radiology report, you may notice the phrase “stable compared to prior.” In radiology, doctors carefully compare current scans—like X-rays, CTs, or MRIs—to older studies to see…
When people undergo imaging such as CT, MRI, or ultrasound, radiologists sometimes discover a finding that is unexpected and not contributing to the patients symptoms. These are called incidentalomas—findings that…
When a radiology report uses the terms remote fracture or acute fracture, it is describing how old a bone break is. These words help doctors determine whether the injury is…
Mass effect is a term used in CT and MRI reports to describe pressure or displacement of brain structures. It does not identify a specific disease but indicates that something…