Definition

Clinical radiology is a specialised branch of medicine that uses state of the art equipment and a range of techniques to capture images of the inside of the body.

Clinical radiologists (radiologists) are qualified medical doctors who have undertaken another five years of additional study and intensive training to specialise in their field. They are trained to perform and interpret medical images to diagnose and sometimes treat injuries and diseases of all parts of the body.

You may be referred to a clinical radiologist by your doctor or specialist.

• X-rays (also known as plain radiography)
• MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans
• Ultrasound (sometimes called sonograms/sonographs)
• CT (computed tomography) scans – these were previously known as CAT (computerised axial tomography) scans
• Fluoroscopy – a continuous X-ray similar to an ‘X-ray movie’
• Nuclear Scans – such as bone scans, thyroid scans and PET CT scans
• Interventional radiology – radiologists treat abscesses, pain conditions, blocked arteries and tumours using images obtained by fluoroscopy, CT, ultrasound and MRI.

Page last modified on 21/3/2018.