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Radiology is the field of medicine which uses radiation techniques like X-rays to diagnose many diseases and bone trauma and to treat malignant tumors. Radiology directs medical imaging technologies to diagnose and sometimes treat diseases. Originally it was the aspect of medical science dealing with the medical use of electromagnetic energy emitted by x-ray machines or other such radiation devices for the purpose of obtaining visual information as part of medical imaging. Today, following extensive training, radiologists direct an array of imaging technologies (such as ultrasound, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging) to diagnose or treat disease.
As a medical specialty, radiology can be classified into subfields:
- Diagnostic radiology is concerned with the use of various imaging modalities to aid in the diagnosis of disease. Therapeutic Radiology utilizes radiation for therapy of disease. Diagnostic radiology is being replaced by diagnostic imaging, which uses techniques like magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasonic sound waves to create images of internal tissues.
- Interventional radiology is the performance of (usually minimally invasive) medical procedures with the guidance of imaging technologies.
- Neuroradiology is the sub-specialty in the field of central nervous system imaging.
- Interventional Neuroradiology uses imaging to guide therapeutic procedures in the head, neck and spine.
- Musculoskeletal radiology is the sub-specialty in the field of bone, joint and muscular imaging.
- Pediatric Radiology. This is a subspecialty of Radiology that specializes in the imaging of children and adolescents.
- Nuclear Medicine. This is a subspecialty of Radiology that uses radioisotopes in the characterization of lesions and disease processes, and often yields functional information.
- Radiation therapy uses radiation to treat diseases such as cancer. While originally encompassed within radiology, Radiation Oncology is now a separate field.
- Other subspecialties are divided by anatomic section: Chest, Abdomen, Musculoskeletal, and Genitourinary.
Diagnostic radiologists must complete prerequisite undergraduate training, four years of medical school, and five years of post-graduate training. The first postgraduate year is a preliminary internship in medicine, surgery or both, after which a four-year diagnostic radiology residency follows. After successful completion of their residency, the new radiologist is eligible to take board examinations (written and oral) given by the American Board of Radiology.
Generally, the radiologist is different from other physicians because he or she diagnoses diseases by obtaining and interpreting medical images. Some images are obtained by using x-rays or radioactive substances, others by means of sound waves or the body's natural magnetism. A radiologist correlates medical image findings with other examinations and tests, recommends further examinations or treatments, and confers with referring physicians (the doctors who send patients to the radiology department or clinic for testing).
Medical Opinions Associates can arrange the services of medical experts in all specialties, including radiology. One radiology expert has particular expertise in diagnostic imaging, including x-rays, CT scans, and MRI’s. He is an Attending Radiologist at a large New Jersey hospital and is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Radiology at a New Jersey medical school. Another MOA radiologist is Medical Director of a medical imaging center in Illinois and cites expertise in diagnostic radiology, CT scans, MRI’s, ultrasound, Nuclear Medicine, PET scans, Interventional Radiology, and mammography. One of our radiology experts is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Radiology in the University of California system with multiple hospital appointments in the suburban San Francisco area. We also are fortunate to have the services of a radiology expert who is certified in Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, as well as Certified by Added Qualification in Neuroradiology. The latter training was done at Stanford University Medical School and Stanford University Hospital.
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