VOLUME 7 • ISSUE 8 • AUGUST 2013
A SLICE OF ORANGE Refreshing Your Health
AN INSIDE LOOK AT YOUR BODY • Radiography • Ultrasound • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
An inside look at your body A SIMPLE GUIDE TO TESTS THAT TAKE A PEEK INSIDE YOU In the last issue of A Slice of Orange, we did a rundown of the different blood tests performed to assess your health. This issue, we will explore the different medical imaging tests that show you what is going on inside your body.
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There are many kinds of imaging techniques, so in the interest of space and relevance, let’s discuss the most commonly performed ones.
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VOLUME 7 • ISSUE 8 • AUGUST 2013
MAMMOGRAM
What you should know when getting one:
What it’s for: This uses a special x-ray ma-
Don’t eat or drink anything after midnight the
chine that compresses the breast first, and
day before your angiogram.
then takes a picture. This is used to check for
Carefully discuss all the risks and benefits of
breast lesions, such as tumors.
angiography with your doctor.
What you should know when getting one:
Ask your doctor about other procedures, such
Do not wear deodorant on the day of your
as stenting, which may be performed with the
examination. Do not apply talcum powder on
angiogram, depending on the test results.
your breast. These may interfere with the test. If you find mammography painful, take an RADIOGRAPHY
DUAL ENERGY X-RAY ABSORPTIOMETRY
over-the-counter painkiller such as parace-
(DEXA)
Radiographic examinations use x-rays, which
tamol or ibuprofen one hour before having a
is a form of electromagnetic energy that can
mammogram.
pass through soft tissues of the body, allowing them to be used in imaging of various organs.
What it’s for: A DEXA test uses two lowenergy x-ray beams to determine the density of your bones. This is generally used to diag-
COMPUTERIZED TOMOGRAPHY
nose osteoporosis.
(CT SCAN)
What you should know when getting one:
THE PLAIN X-RAY
What it’s for: This test uses a special ma-
A DEXA scan is relatively simple with virtu-
What it’s for: This test projects x-rays through
chine that takes many x-ray pictures of your
ally no preparation required. However, if you
the body, and develops the image to a pho-
body, and uses a computer program to recon-
have recently had an x-ray or CT scan done,
tographic film. It can be used on any part
struct and piece together the images to show
tell your doctor beforehand.
of the body, but it is most commonly used
many high-quality cross-sectional images of
to view the chest. It is also very useful in de-
the body. It can be used on almost any part
tecting fractures in bone. To evaluate hollow
of the body to check for disease, including
organs in your digestive system, you may be
fractures and tumors. Some CT scans may be
asked to swallow a fluid called barium dye.
taken after a contrast dye is swallowed or in-
What you should know when getting one: Except for an examination of the abdomen,
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jected through a vein. This makes the contrast of the images sharper.
x-rays to other parts of the body will probably
What you should know when getting one:
not expose a fetus to x-rays. However, it is
As with any test using x-rays, tell your doctor if
important to tell your doctor if you suspect you
you suspect you may be pregnant.
may be pregnant.
Remove any metal objects, such as a belt or
Keep all your old x-ray plates, and show them
jewelry, which might interfere with the results.
to your doctor so that he/she can compare
Do not eat a few hours before your scan.
your old films with new ones for changes.
Try as much as possible to stay still during the scan.
DENTAL X-RAYS
ULTRASOUND An ultrasound procedure uses an ultrasound machine that produces, well, ultrasound waves. Ultrasound waves are sound waves that have frequencies too high for the human ear to discern, or higher than 20 kilohertz.
What it’s for: This test is like a plain x-ray, but
ANGIOGRAM
Most machines use waves with frequencies
focuses the beam on your teeth.
What it’s for: A catheter is threaded through
from between 2 and 18 megahertz. Because
What you should know when getting one:
an artery (usually at the groin or arm) towards
Like in other plain x-ray examinations, keep all
the arteries of your heart (coronaries). A
ultrasound is safe for pregnant women.
your old dental x-ray plates, and show them
contrast is injected to the coronaries, and
This is how an ultrasound works: Sound
to your dentist for comparison of changes
x-rays show the flow of contrast within the
is emitted from the transducer, and travels
over time.
coronaries.
through the body’s tissues. Depending on the
this uses only sound waves and no radiation,
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VOLUME 7 • ISSUE 8 • AUGUST 2013
density and characteristics of the organs the
spleen, and pancreas, eat a fat-free meal on
waves hit, some waves return to the transduc-
the evening before the test, and do not eat
er. The transducer then interprets the waves
or drink anything for 8 hours before the test.
that return, and convert it into a visible image.
For ultrasound of the kidneys and breast, no
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preparations are needed. FETAL OR OBSTETRIC ULTRASOUND What it’s for: This assesses the health of a
2D-ECHOCARDIOGRAM OR 2D ECHO
fetus inside the womb.
What it’s for: This is a special ultrasound test
What you should know when getting one:
that specifically evaluates the heart, its valves,
Your bladder should be full during this exam.
and how well the muscles pump and the
Drink two glasses of non-carbonated drinks
blood flows
one hour prior to your exam. Do not empty
What you should know when getting one:
your bladder prior to the exam.
In general, no special preparations are nec-
Bring all prior examination films (CT, MRI, ul-
essary. However, there may be special pro-
trasound, x-rays, etc.) with you on the day of
cedures that may be performed. Ask your
your exam.
doctor for any special preparations you may need to do.
DIAGNOSTIC ULTRASOUND
body emit signals that the MRI machine detects and converts into images. Like the CT scan, the MRI can produce many cross-sectional images of the body, from head to toe. But unlike the CT scan, the MRI does not use radiation, so it is generally safer. However, since it uses magnets, it may not be used for certain people who have implants in their body. Also, the MRI produces sharper pictures of soft tissues of the body. It is very important to tell your doctor if you
What it’s for: This is used to view other parts
have had any implants in your body before
of the body, including the abdomen, liver,
MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING
getting an MRI. Also, make sure to remove
gallbladder, spleen, pancreas, pelvis, kid-
(MRI)
any jewelry, hairpins, glasses, watches,
neys, bladder, and breast.
The last is MRI, which uses powerful magnets
wigs, dentures, hearing aids, underwire
What you should know when getting one:
to excite hydrogen nuclei in water molecules
bras,
For ultrasound of the liver, gallbladder,
in the body. These excited nuclei inside the
implements.
and
other
metal-containing
body
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A Slice of Orange
is a newsletter designed to help clarify basic health information and offer juicy tips on uplifting your health.
Editorial team Alvin Delfin Christine Llenes-Delfin Ivan Olegario, MD