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Imaging today: X-rays and so much more
Your guide to the latest imaging technologies and techniques available today

Do you remember the first time you saw an x-ray? And how amazing it was that a machine could look inside the body like that?

Today, a wide array of technology is available to help your doctor see not just your bones, but your arteries and organs, too. This field of medicine, called radiology or diagnostic imaging, has advanced dramatically in the last 25 years with the development of computers and other imaging tools such as ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Below is a guide to current imaging technologies and stories about the team of experts and state-of-the-art equipment that are available to you at Salem Hospital and West Valley Hospital.
 

Angiography
Angiography is an x-ray exam of the arteries and veins to diagnose blockages and other blood-vessel problems. During an angiogram, a thin tube is inserted into the artery through a small nick in the skin.

Angiography is used to:
  • Determine blockage or narrowing in a blood vessel that may interfere with normal blood flow.
  • Detect cerebral vascular disease such as stroke or bleeding in the brain.
  • Identify an aneurysm (an area of a blood vessel that bulges or balloons out).

Computerized tomography
Computerized tomography—also called CT, CT scan, and CAT scan—is a non-invasive, x-ray technique that produces more detailed images of internal organs than conventional x-ray exams. CT uses an x-ray-sensing unit, which rotates around the body to create cross-sectional images (like slices) of the inside of your body.

CT is used to help:
  • Diagnose muscle and bone disorders, such as osteoporosis.
  • Pinpoint the location of a tumor, infection, or blood clot.
  • Guide procedures such as surgery, biopsy, and radiation therapy.
  • Detect and monitor diseases such as cancer and heart disease.
  • Detect internal injuries and internal bleeding.

Magnetic resonance imaging
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a technique that uses a magnetic field and radio waves to create cross-sectional images of your head and body. MRI is a non-invasive way to examine the body, and it produces high-resolution images.

MRI is used to:
  • Identify brain tumors, strokes, and chronic disorders of the nervous system.
  • Reveal brain abnormalities in people with dementia.
  • Locate eye or inner-ear tissue abnormalities.
  • Identify damage caused by heart attack or heart disease.
  • Detect blood-vessel plaques and blockages.
  • Identify and diagnose bone and joint damage, infections, injuries, disorders, or tumors.
  • Detect breast cancer.
  • Detect reproductive system and bladder problems.

Mammography
Mammography is an imaging technique that uses a low-dose x-ray system for the examination of breasts. A mammogram is used as a screening tool to detect early breast cancer in women experiencing no symptoms and to detect and diagnose breast disease in women experiencing symptoms such as a lump, pain, or nipple discharge.

Mammography is used to:
  • Aid in the diagnosis of breast disease.
  • Assist in the detection of disease in patients with no symptoms.

Nuclear medicine
Nuclear medicine is the name for examinations in which the patient receives a radioactive substance, either intravenously or by mouth, allowing the physician to see the patient’s bones and internal organs. The images that emerge when energy is emitted by the radioactive substance can show the physician how the organs are functioning. Generally, the amount of radiation that enters the patient is similar to that resulting from a standard x-ray examination.

Nuclear medicine can be used to:
  • Analyze kidney function.
  • Scan lungs for respiratory and blood-flow issues.
  • Identify blockage of the gallbladder.
  • Analyze blood flow and heart function.
  • Evaluate bones for fracture, infection, arthritis, or tumors.
  • Determine the presence or spread of cancer.
  • Identify bleeding into the bowel.
  • Detect and locate an infection.
  • Measure thyroid function.

Positron emission tomography
Positron emission tomography, also called PET imaging or PET scan, is an exam that captures body images by detecting radiation from the emission of positrons. Positrons are tiny particles emitted from a radioactive substance administered to the patient.

PET scan is used to:
  • Detect cancer and examine the effects of cancer therapy.
  • Determine blood flow to the heart and evaluate signs of coronary artery disease.
  • Evaluate memory disorders of an undetermined cause.

Ultrasound imaging
Ultrasound imaging, also called sonography and echocardiography, is a technique that uses high-frequency sound waves to produce precise images of structures within the body. These images provide information valuable in diagnosing and guiding the treatment of disease.

Ultrasound imaging is used to:
  • View organ development of a fetus.
  • Diagnose gallbladder disease.
  • Study the heart.
  • Diagnose some forms of cancer.
  • Diagnose infection.
  • Evaluate blood flow in blood vessels.
  • Guide a needle biopsy.
  • Check the thyroid gland in your neck.
  • Reveal abnormalities in the scrotum and prostate.

X-ray
Radiography, known by most as x-ray, uses electromagnetic radiation to make images of your bones, teeth, and internal organs, allowing for pictures of the inside of the body. X-ray is a painless medical test that can help to determine the appropriate treatment. It is an easy and safe way to view and assess conditions ranging from broken bones to cancer.

X-ray exams may be used to:
  • Determine whether a bone is chipped, dislocated, or fractured.
  • Evaluate joint injuries and bone infections.
  • Diagnose and monitor the progression of degenerative conditions such as arthritis or osteoporosis.
  • Screen for lung and heart disease.
  • Diagnose the cause of persistent coughing or chest pain.
  • Find and treat artery blockages.
  • Evaluate unexplained abdominal pain.
  • Locate objects accidentally swallowed by a child.
  • Detect scoliosis and other spinal defects.
  • Locate dental problems.

Imaging technology has come a long way from the first x-ray, but what it allows doctors to see and do is still amazing. Salem Hospital currently offers all of the diagnostic imaging techniques described above. And as new technologies and techniques are developed in the future, Salem Hospital will continue to provide them to our patients as part of our commitment to the health and well-being of the communities we serve.

 
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