Filling Defect
A common term used by radiologists across all different types of tests is a filling defect. This means that there is something inside a lumen that prevents normal filling. A…
General Imaging
Foreign Body on X-ray
Foreign body on X-ray means that the radiologist is seeing something that does not belong in the body. Foreign body is something that comes from the outside and ends up…
What Is A Chronic Finding On Imaging?
The phrase chronic finding is sometimes used by radiologists to indicate that a finding on an imaging test has been present for some time. This may mean that a finding…
Stat Exam Order
Your doctor may have ordered your exam stat instead of routine. This means that the test will be done as soon as possible and also read quicker then the routine…
Normal Variant on X-ray
A normal variant on X-ray is an unusual appearance of normal anatomy. The significance of this is that this may mimic abnormality and result in unnecessary testing and treatment. Normal…
Follow Up Study Recommended for Abnormality on Imaging
Follow up is a very common recommendation by the radiologist on many types of imaging studies. To me, an abnormality that needs follow up is not clearly benign or malignant…
Will Breast Sentinel Node Injection Hurt?
Breast sentinel lymph node injections are commonly done before surgery for breast cancer. The sentinel lymph node injection allows the surgeon to limit the amount of surgery to the sentinel…
Call Back For MRI
I mean when you have an MRI exam and then get a call from the hospital to either repeat part of the exam or the entire study. This happens commonly…
Second Opinion For Radiology Report
Second opinion for a radiology read is a reasonable request, particularly if the exam is complex or your symptoms don’t match the results. While radiologists are highly trained specialists, there…
Radiologist Recommendation For Additional Imaging
A radiology report will include the impression at the end of the report and at times, a recommendation for further testing. Often this will be an additional imaging test to…
Will a Machine (Artificial Intelligence) Read Your Scan Soon?
There has been a lot of work on artificial intelligence, particularly in the setting of medical care and radiology. Studies have shown that in some settings and narrow applications, AI…
Is A Long Radiology Report Better?
Short answer is not necessarily and it depends. Definition of a long report is difficult to define because it depends who you ask. But generally, one that covers 2-3 pages…