Abdomen

Bowel wall air or pneumatosis intestinalis on X-ray is seen as lucent dark air pockets along the bowel wall. This is an important finding because it can indicate that there…

Thickening of bowel on X-ray is an infrequent but important finding. On X-ray, you will actually see thickening of the bowel folds in the small bowel or colon. This is…

Free air under the diaphragm means there is gas under the diaphragms on an X-ray.  The diaphragm is the major muscle of respiration and is located under the lungs.  …

Kidney stones are commonly identified on imaging tests like X-ray ultrasound and CT.  Kidney stones can vary in size, composition and shape.  They often cause symptoms when they pass into…

A solid kidney mass is diagnosed on imaging studies like ultrasound, CT and MRI.  Solid kidney masses are important because they are concerning for cancer.  In some cases they represent…

Passing a kidney stone means that a kidney stone has moved from the kidney into the ureter.  The ureter is a tube that carries urine from the kidney to the…

Perinephric stranding on CT means that there is edema or dirty hazy appearance of the normal fat that surrounds each kidney. This is a very common finding that can mean…

Gastroesophageal reflux disease occurs when stomach acid backs up into the esophagus (tube connecting the stomach and mouth).   This can irritate the lining of the esophagus, cause narrowing of the…

What is a barium enema? A barium enema is done after administering barium contrast into the rectum. The barium contrast then eventually fills the colon while we observe the structure…

Abdominal X-rays are often ordered for abdominal pain.  Your doctor may decide to start with an abdominal X-ray since it is fast, inexpensive, readily available and can diagnosis some of…

Abdominal calcifications are common and have many causes.  Abdominal X-rays can help us determine the cause of the calcification based on the location and appearance. Further imaging with ultrasound or…