Imaging Department
Imaging tests are a powerful ally of the physician in diagnosing a variety of conditions, from pains in various parts of the body to brain injuries.
Each imaging test, of the many available in the doctor’s arsenal “, serves a different purpose. Some imaging tests rely on radiation, others on magnets and radio waves, and others on sound waves.
Radiology
The most classic and most commonly implemented imaging test is radiography, which uses X-rays to aid the diagnosis of many conditions.
Today, with the help of digital x ray the radiation that the patient receives has been drastically reduced and at the same time the possibility of repeating the examination is eliminated thanks to the high resolution of the digital image.
No special preparation is required for the X-ray, but you should get instructions from the technician performing the examination, especially if you are pregnant or you suspect that you might be pregnant.
Mammography
Digital Mammography is the most critical screening test for breast cancer, which combines minimal radiation, excellent imaging, high resolution, thus providing greater accuracy in diagnosis.
It is worth noting that even tumours as small as a few millimetres can be detected with this test.
Bone Mineral Density Measurement
Bone Mineral Density Measurement is used to determine whether the patient suffers from osteoporosis, i.e., low bone density, which increases the risk of fractures.
The test is carried out using DEXA (Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry), which is based on the use of X-rays. However, the dose received by the patient is extremely low.
It is a non-invasive and harmless 15-minute examination, which plays a major role in the detection of osteoporosis, primarily for women, since as a silent disease it shows symptoms only in an advanced stage. All the patient needs to do is lie down on the special scanner, without undressing, and it will move across the patient to image the area of interest.
It should be noted that bone density increases, in both women and men, until the age of 30 and from then on begins to gradually decrease. In women in particular, the decline in bone density accelerates after menopause. It is estimated that 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men over the age of 50 will suffer an osteoporotic fracture.
Ultrasound
Ultrasound is a radiation-free, completely painless examination that allows the imaging of many organs, extracting information about the condition of the patient.
Usually the ultrasound scan takes up to 20 minutes, and the patient does not need to be particularly prepared, except in certain cases where the doctor may ask for a period of abstinence from food and water for a few hours.
The most commonly performed ultrasound scans are those of the upper and lower abdomen, the internal genital organs, triplex vascular, elastography, superficial organs and newborn hips.
Especially for the latter case, ultrasound is widely accepted to diagnose, at an early stage, developmental hip dysplasia in infants and neonates. Ultrasonography is recommended when the result of the clinical examination is doubtful or when the clinical examination is positive to assess the degree of dysplasia and to monitor the response to treatment, or as a preventive measure as is usually done in most cases