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X-Ray Imaging Services by US Imaging |
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Applications for X-Ray Imaging and Fluoroscopy
- Bone X-ray Imaging:
are the most common use of X-ray imaging and assist the
physician in identifying and treating bone fractures including the
arms, legs, knees, wrists, and skull. Images of the
injury can show very fine hairline fractures or bone chips, while
images produced after treatment ensure that a fracture has been
properly aligned and stabilized for healing.
- Chest X-ray Imaging: A chest x-ray is usually done for the evaluation of lungs, heart and chest wall. Pneumonia, heart failure, emphysema, lung
cancer and other medical conditions can be accurately diagnosed or suspected through a chest x-ray.
- X-ray Guided Breast Biopsy:
A mammography may reveal a breast abnormality, but in many cases it is
not possible to tell whether a growth is benign or cancerous. To make
this determination it is necessary to obtain a tissue sample for
examination. As an alternative to open surgical biopsy, which removes
an entire breast lump for microscopic analysis, a hollow needle may be
passed through the skin into the suspicious lesion with the help of
special breast X-rays. The small sample of breast tissue obtained in
this way can show whether the lesion is malignant or benign. This much
less invasive than the surgical approach and is particularly for
pinpointing suspicious masses that cannot be felt on breast
examination.
Benefits of X-ray imaging
- Very ueseful for diagnosing common bone injury and disease (such as fractures, bone infections, and arthritis) as well as common
conditions of the lung and chest such as infection, emphysema, and fluid accumulation.
- Fast and easy to perform; particularly useful in emergency diagnosis and treatment
- Inexpensive and widely available
Limitations of X-Ray Imaging
While
X-ray images are among the clearest, most detailed views of bone
fractures, they provide little information about the adjacent soft
tissues. In the case of a knee, shoulder or spine injury, for example,
an MRI may be more useful in identifying ligament and cartilage damage
or other non-fractures.
The chest X-ray is a very useful examination, but
has limitations. Some conditions of the chest will not show up on the
image. There are some cancers that are too small or are difficult to
visualize and may not be identified. Blood clots to the lungs
(pulmonary embolism) cannot be seen on chest X-rays and require
additional study.
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