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32 minutes
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iThe Radiology Department at Jackson Purchase Medical Center is here to see the things that you cannot with the latest technology for all your imaging needs.
Protect yourself against bone fractures by monitoring your bone mineral with a bone density scan. A bone densitometry test, also known as a DEXA scan, is a low-dose X-ray scan of your body to measure bone mineral content and density. This painless test helps in assessing your risk of fracture and in the diagnosis of osteoporosis.
Our caring staff uses the latest technology in 3D mammography in a comfortable and welcoming environment to help you stay on top of your health and give you the peace of mind that comes with knowing and being prepared. 3D mammography uses advanced technology to take images of your breast from different angles and combine them to create a more complete and accurate image of your breast than is possible with regular 2D digital mammography. This more complete and accurate image of your breast allows for earlier detection. Its higher accuracy also means less unnecessary return visits to the doctor for false positives. 3D mammography is particularly effective if you have dense breast tissue or have been given a previous cancer or lesion diagnosis. Learn more about 3D mammography.
LDCT (low-dose computed tomography) works much like an x-ray exam to produce pictures of your chest and lungs. This high-quality lung screening detects lung abnormalities but with 90 percent less ionizing radiation than a conventional CT scan. If you have a high risk of lung cancer but no signs or symptoms, a LDCT screening could help you catch potentially cancerous spots at their earliest and most treatable stage.
A bone densitometry test, also known as a “dual energy X-ray absorptiometer" (DEXA), is a low-dose X-ray scan of your body to measure bone mineral content and density. This painless test helps in assessing your risk of fracture and in the diagnosis of osteoporosis. A bone densitometer uses low amounts of X-ray to produce images of the spine, hip, or the whole body in order to measure bone mineral.
Like other organs in the body, bones are constantly changing. Around the age of 30, bones reach their peak strength and then gradually become weaker with age. Osteoporosis is a condition where bones become abnormally weak to the point of breaking. Often, symptoms do not occur until a great deal of bone strength is lost, which can result in a fracture, most often at the hip, back or wrist. Visible symptoms may include loss of height, along with curvature of the upper back. A number of factors can increase the likelihood of developing osteoporosis – including age, race, lifestyle, some medical conditions and treatments. Risk factors include:
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a non-invasive imaging technology that produces three dimensional detailed anatomical images. It is often used for disease detection, diagnosis and treatment monitoring. It is based on sophisticated technology that excites and detects the change in the direction of the rotational axis of protons found in the water that makes up living tissues.
Nuclear medicine is a medical specialty that uses radioactive tracers (radiopharmaceuticals) to assess bodily functions and to diagnose and treat disease. Specially designed cameras allow doctors to track the path of these radioactive tracers. Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans are the two most common imaging modalities in nuclear medicine.
The total radiation dose conferred to patients by the majority of radiopharmaceuticals used in diagnostic nuclear medicine studies is no more than what is conferred during routine chest x-rays or CT exams. There are legitimate concerns about possible cancer induction even by low levels of radiation exposure from cumulative medical imaging examinations, but this risk is accepted to be quite small in contrast to the expected benefit derived from a medically needed diagnostic imaging study.
Diagnostic ultrasound can be further sub-divided into anatomical and functional ultrasound. Anatomical ultrasound produces images of internal organs or other structures. Functional ultrasound combines information such as the movement and velocity of tissue or blood, softness or hardness of tissue, and other physical characteristics, with anatomical images to create “information maps.” These maps help doctors visualize changes/differences in function within a structure or organ.
Therapeutic ultrasound also uses sound waves above the range of human hearing but does not produce images. Its purpose is to interact with tissues in the body such that they are either modified or destroyed. Among the modifications possible are: moving or pushing tissue, heating tissue, dissolving blood clots, or delivering drugs to specific locations in the body. These destructive, or ablative, functions are made possible by use of very high-intensity beams that can destroy diseased or abnormal tissues such as tumors. The advantage of using ultrasound therapies is that, in most cases, they are non-invasive. No incisions or cuts need to be made to the skin, leaving no wounds or scars.
The term “computed tomography”, or CT, refers to a computerized x-ray imaging procedure in which a narrow beam of x-rays is aimed at a patient and quickly rotated around the body, producing signals that are processed by the machine’s computer to generate cross-sectional images—or “slices”—of the body. These slices are called tomographic images and contain more detailed information than conventional x-rays. Once a number of successive slices are collected by the machine’s computer, they can be digitally “stacked” together to form a three-dimensional image of the patient that allows for easier identification and location of basic structures as well as possible tumors or abnormalities.
Fluoroscopy is a medical procedure that makes a real-time video of the movements inside a part of the body by passing x-rays through the body over a period of time. X-rays are a form of ionizing radiation. Fluoroscopy can be used for diagnosing (finding out the cause of) a health problem such as heart or intestinal disease. It also can be used to guide treatments such as implants or injections, or in orthopedic surgery. It helps the healthcare provider look inside organs, joints, muscles and bones.
As always, you should consult with your personal primary care physician to determine the type and frequency of screenings that is best for you. Find a primary care physician, or call our physician referral line at 855.769.DOCS, and we will get you connected to the right care.
For more information on how to schedule your next imaging service, call our radiology desk at 270.251.4393.
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