Breast Radiology

Breast cancer is the number one killer out of all cancers  in women globally. Most of the recorded cases are those presented with symptoms are of advanced stage at the time of diagnosis.

Early diagnose may help the patient to get better treatment options by giving them the best chance to be survived.

There are various methods of diagnosing breast cancer early

Self breast examination

Clinical breast examination

Ultra sound scanning

Mammogram

Breast self examination

The woman can examine the breast by herself

The method of self breast examination Is as follow

Check for  pain, lump, nipple discharge, nipple retraction, skin infiltration ,skin erythemia, Asymmetry of the both breast

Clinical breast examination 

If the woman find any abnormality by the SBE She should go to the physician or a surgeon

He or She will examine you

Ultra sound scan

Will be done by well expert radiologist 

Basic Mammography Techniques

It is the mammographer's aim to produce a consistently high quality mammographic image.This is paramount in diagnostic mammography to enable the Radiologist to accurately evaluate the image.

Views

Cranio Caudal View

• This view includes most of the breast tissue. 

• Ensure firstly the bucky height is correct and at the level of the infra mammary fold so the breast is fully elevated including the posterior tissue. This reduces the chance of pulling the skin as the compression comes down. 

• The patient stands facing the bucky with her head turned away from the side being examined. Keep one arm around her shoulder and the other hand to position the breast. Position from the medial side of the woman

Criteria for assessing the CC view 

1. As much medial and lateral tissue visualised as possible 

2. Aim to include pectoral muscle 

3. Correct exposure 

4. Adequate compression 

5. No movement 

6. Proper processing 

7. No artefacts 

8. No skin folds or shoulder in view 

9. Images should be symmetrical 

10. Correct film ID-patient details, markers, date, and radiographer's initials 

11. Nipple in profile-if difficult, do an extra nipple view.

Medio-Lateral Oblique

• The degree of angulation depends on the angle of the pectoralis major muscle. The film holder should be parallel to the angle of the pectoral muscle at the mid axillary line. Generally taller, slimmer women need a steeper angle. Smaller women may need to be more lateral and larger breasted women less than 45 degrees. 

• Ask the woman the place her hand on the bar as the armpit is placed over the bucky corner. Ensure no folds on the lateral side of the breast and check all the lateral tissue is on the edge of the Bucky. The arm should be resting over and on to the back of the bucky. 

• Gently push the shoulder down by the hand on the clavicle. 

• Once sure there is adequate axillary tissue, position the breast and apply the compression while supporting the inferior aspect. The breast needs to be pulled up and out so that it will be imaged at 90 degrees to the chest wall. 

• Ensure no folds and smooth out the inframammary region. To be sure that all the breast tissue has been imaged the top of the compression plate should be just below the clavicle and the inner edge alongside the sternum. 

X-ray is Everywhere

X-ray is everywhere. I just found a site & here you can get high quality x-ray images as shown on follow. This is good site for your own customized x-ray, art work or graphics . Just visit this and you can get more details...

X ray Posters

Watch now -- History of Radiography

Radiography is a interesting field when you are working with it.  For everything, i believe we should know about the history. Otherwise we couldn't build the strong future. I could find some interesting video about 'History of The Radiography' from the You tube. Watch this and learn something about history of the 'Radiography'...

  

Chest Radiography

The chest x-ray is the most commonly performed diagnostic x-ray examination. A chest x-ray makes images of the heart, lungs, airways, blood vessels and the bones of the spine and chest.
An x-ray (radiograph) is a noninvasive medical test that helps physicians diagnose and treat medical conditions. Imaging with x-rays involves exposing a part of the body to a small dose of ionizing radiation to produce pictures of the inside of the body. X-rays are the oldest and most frequently used form of medical imaging.

Common uses of the procedure


The chest x-ray is performed to evaluate the lungs, heart and chest wall.


A chest x-ray is typically the first imaging test used to help diagnose symptoms such as:
• shortness of breath.
• a bad or persistent cough.
• chest pain or injury.
• fever.

Physicians use the examination to help diagnose or monitor treatment for conditions such as:
• pneumonia.
• heart failure and other heart problems.
• emphysema.
• lung cancer.
• line and tube placement.
• other medical conditions.

Radiologic technologists and technicians or Radiographers

Radiologic technologists  perform diagnostic imaging examinations like x rays, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and mammography.

Some radiologic technologists , referred to as radiographers, produce x-ray films (radiographs) of parts of the human body for use in diagnosing medical problems. They prepare patients for radiologic examinations by explaining the procedure, removing jewelry and other articles through which x rays cannot pass, and positioning patients so that the parts of the body can be appropriately radiographed. To prevent unnecessary exposure to radiation, these workers surround the exposed area with radiation protection devices, such as lead shields, or limit the size of the x-ray beam. Radiographers position radiographic equipment at the correct angle and height over the appropriate area of a patient's body. Using instruments similar to a measuring tape they may measure the thickness of the section to be radiographed and set controls on the x-ray machine to produce radiographs of the appropriate density, detail, and contrast.

Radiologic technologists and technicians must follow physicians' orders precisely and conform to regulations concerning the use of radiation to protect themselves, their patients, and their coworkers from unnecessary exposure.

In addition to preparing patients and operating equipment, radiologic technologists and technicians keep patient records and adjust and maintain equipment. They also may prepare work schedules, evaluate purchases of equipment, or manage a radiology department.

Radiologic technologists also perform more complex imaging procedures. When performing fluoroscopies, for example, radiologic technologists prepare a solution for the patient to drink, allowing the radiologist (a physician who interprets radiographs) to see soft tissues in the body.

Some radiologic technologists specialize in computed tomography (CT), as CT technologists. CT scans produce a substantial amount of cross-sectional x rays of an area of the body. From those cross-sectional x rays, a three-dimensional image is made. The CT uses ionizing radiation; therefore, it requires the same precautionary measures that are used with x rays.

Radiologic technologists also can specialize in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MR) as MR technologists. MR, like CT, produces multiple cross-sectional images to create a 3-dimensional image. Unlike CT and x rays, MR uses non-ionizing radio frequency to generate image contrast.

Radiologic technologists might also specialize in mammography. Mammographers use low dose x-ray systems to produce images of the breast.

In addition to radiologic technologists, others who conduct diagnostic imaging procedures include cardiovascular technologists and technicians,diagnostic medical sonographers, and nuclear medicine technologists. 

Building Medical words

• a or an or ana - without
» a-calculia (can't do math)
» a-kinesia (without movement)
» a-phasia (without speech)
» a-plasia (not formed or not formed normally) e.g. aplastic anemia

• brady - slow:
» brady-cardia (slow pulse)
» brady-kinesia (slow or paucity of movements)

• dys - abnormal, painful
» dys-function
» dys-phagia (abnormal eating/swallowing)
» dys-phasia (abnormal speech - also aphasia)
» dys-plasia (abnormal cells, tissue, organ)
» dys-pepsia (impaird or painful digestion)
» dys-pnea (bad breathing, shortness or breath or SOB, "air hunger"

• lepid - scales
» lepido-ptera (scale wing)

• lepto - thin
» lepto-meninges (pia and arachnoid)

• morphos - shape
» ana-morphic (without shape)
» dys-morphic (badly shaped)
» poly-morphic (many shapes)

• oligo - few
» oligo-dendrocytes (like astrocyte, but fewer branches)

For more knowledge...

Radiography

Medical radiography is a broad term that covers several types of studies that require the visualization of the internal parts of the body using x-ray techniques. Simply radiography means a technique for generating and recording an x-ray pattern for the purpose of providing the user with a static image(s) after termination of the exposure. It is differentiated as  fluoroscopy, mammography, and computed tomography according to the X-ray energy, recording system as well as the region of the imaged. Radiography may also be used during the planning of radiation therapy treatment.  It is used to diagnose or treat patients by recording images of the internal structure of the body to assess the presence or absence of disease, foreign objects, and structural damage or anomaly.

During a radiographic procedure, an x-ray beam is passed through the body. A portion of the x-rays are absorbed or scattered by the internal structure and the remaining x-ray pattern is transmitted to a detector so that an image may be recorded for later evaluation. The recoding of the pattern may occur on film or through electronic means.

Application 

Radiography is used in many types of examinations and procedures where a record of a static image is desired. Some examples include:

• Dental examination
• Verification of correct placement of surgical markers prior to invasive procedures
• Mammography
• Orthopedic evaluations
• Spot film or static recording during fluoroscopy
• Chiropractic examinations

What is Radiography

Radiography uses the science of radiation to produce images of tissues and organs. 

Radiography Definition

Radiography is used by medical professionals to diagnose and treat medical conditions. The diagonostic side of radiography uses specialized equipment to creat images, such as x-rays, that show the inside of the human body. X-rays can be recorded on film or as a computerized image. Radiography can also be used to treat internal malignancies like tumors. A doctor who specializes in radiography is called a radiologist, while an assistant is referred as a radiologic technologist.