Summary
Diagnostic imaging lets doctors look inside your body for clues about a medical condition. A variety of machines and techniques can create pictures of the structures and activities inside your body. The type of imaging your doctor uses depends on your symptoms and the part of your body being examined. They include
Many imaging tests are painless and easy. Some require you to stay still for a long time inside a machine. This can be uncomfortable. Certain tests involve exposure to a small amount of radiation.
For some imaging tests, doctors insert a tiny camera attached to a long, thin tube into your body. This tool is called a scope. The doctor moves it through a body passageway or opening to see inside a particular organ, such as your heart, lungs, or colon. These procedures often require anesthesia.
Learn More
- American College of Radiology Accredited Facility Search (American College of Radiology)
- Contrast Materials (American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
- Doses from Medical Radiation Sources (Health Physics Society)
- How to Read Your Radiology Report (American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
- Imaging and radiology (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Keeping Kids Still during Exams (American Society of Radiologic Technologists) - PDF - In English and Spanish
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Medical Scans Explained: A Look Inside the Body
(National Institutes of Health)
Also in Spanish
- Overview of Imaging Tests (Merck & Co., Inc.) Also in Spanish
- Radiation Exposure in X-Ray and CT Examinations (American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
- RadiologyInfo: Glossary of Terms (American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
- Tracing the X-Ray Trail (American Society of Radiologic Technologists) - PDF - In English and Spanish