Body Imaging

Body Imaging

Body Imaging (also commonly called Medical Imaging) refers to all the processes and to all the techniques that are employed in order to create pictures (images) of the human organism (or of certain parts of the patient’s body) which can be needed for different medical purposes (clinical procedures that want to reveal something, examine a certain medical condition or diagnose it). Medical Imaging can also be employed in medical science, as it is very useful in the study of normal physiology and in that of normal anatomy.

Taken in its widest sense, as a discipline, Body Imaging is a part of biological imaging; it includes medical endoscopy, thermography, medical microscopy (which is commonly employed during human pathological investigations), radiological sciences, radiology, etc. Certain specialists also consider that electroencephalography (which is commonly abbreviated as EEG) and magnetoencephalography (which can also be found under the abbreviation of MEG) and also other types of recording and measurement techniques which have not been primarily designed as to yield specific images can be considered forms of Body Imaging (such techniques provide medical data which can be represented under the form of maps).

There are numerous investigations that are considered part of Medical Imaging procedures. Such medical tests (examinations) are widely employed in medical centers from all over the world in the diagnosis of numerous medical conditions, of different types. Some of them can be part of routine clinical examinations. X-rays, for example, can be employed in the analysis of the patient’s bone fractures or in the detection of lung problems. If the patient is administered a radio-opaque contrast agent, through projectional radiographs, the physician can also detect the presence of ulcers, colon cancer, and so on. Through breast thermography, the physician can detect one of the earliest signs of breast cancer (certain temperature variations which can be detected through this technique); they can also indicate a breast pre-cancerous state.

Body Imaging Description

The numerous forms of Body Imaging employ different technologies; while some of them are based on the results of the examination on an electron microscope, others require the analysis of a radiographic image (this is performed by a well trained radiologist), or are based on ultrasounds, thermography, nuclear medicine, magnetic resonance, and so on.

Radiography is probably the most widespread type of Body Imaging. Medical examinations employ one of the 2 forms of radiographic images: either fluoroscopy (mainly employed as a means of intraoperative guidance, but also as a very effective form of catheter guidance) or projection radiography. Although 3D tomography is based on a much more advanced technology and it provides images of a higher quality, with many more details, making it a lot more easier for the medical professional to set a clear diagnosis of the patient’s medical condition, 2D techniques (especially radiography, in any of its 2 forms) is still widely employed as it possesses the advantages of low cost, lower radiation dosages and high resolution.

Another important part of Body Imaging is nuclear medicine; seen as a whole, this concept includes both the treatment and the diagnosis of the disorder, with the use of special nuclear properties. In the case of imaging, special radioactive nuclei emit energetic photons which are able to help the physician have a look at certain structures, detecting numerous types of pathologies.

The electron microscope is also widely employed as part of Body Imaging procedures. This apparatus is able to magnify very small details (its magnifying power can reach 2,000,000). Anatomic pathology mainly benefits from the use of electron microscopy, as through this type of examination the specialist is able to identify organelles within the analyzed cells. Although a great part of its usefulness has been taken over by another technique (called immunhistochemistry) it is still employed in the diagnosis of immotile cilia syndrome, kidney disease, and so on.

Body Imaging Related Medication

In this chapter we intend to familiarize you with some of the most common substances which can be employed in certain fields of Body Imaging. However you must always keep in mind that this article only aims to be a supplement of your PD’s professional expertise concerning Medical Imaging, as it is not able to substitute it. We strongly recommend all patients to seek their medical provider’s approval to engage in any type of medical activity.

Nuclear medicine employs gamma cameras in order to detect special regions of biological activity that are known to be commonly associated with certain medical conditions. The patient is administered 123I or another type of a short lived isotope. Such substances are more readily attracted by regions of the body that are characterized by higher biological activity (such as bone fracture points, tumors, and so on). Another type of Body Imaging technique that is also based on nuclear medicine is PET (this abbreviation stands for positron emission tomography). This type of clinical examination also requires the patient to be administered a short lived isotope (preferably 18F); in this case, the isotope is incorporated into a special substance that is naturally used by the human organism (like glucose).

Radiography (one of the most common forms of Body Imaging) is also based on the administration of certain substances. For example, fluoroscopy (a form of radiography) yields real-time pictures of the organism’s internal structures employing a constant input (but at a lower rate) of x-rays. This procedure requires the administration of contrast media (for example Iodine or Barium) which is needed in order to allow the medical professional visualize the structures as they work. The common x-rays (the professional medical term for them is projectional radiographs) are commonly employed to detect pathological changes that can affect the patient’s lungs or to determine the extent and the type of a bone fracture. However, if the physician employs a radio-opaque contrast media (like Barium, for example) during this form of Body Imaging examination, he or she will also be able to get a clear view of the patient’s intestines and stomach – this is very helpful in the diagnosis of colon cancer, ulcer, and so on.