Imaging (Radiology)

It gives health experts a closer look. Whether it’s chronic pain, an injury, or a new lump, these types of imaging machines can help doctors determine the cause. “An x-ray would be your first primary line of attack. Then after that, if the pain persists, they will go through MRI imaging which is more definitive and looks at more tissue related, soft tissue, cartilage, ligaments, bone in several different ways,” said Peter Kouba, an MRI technologist with Lee Health. Each machine offers different levels of imaging. “A CT is much quicker for the acute setting, and it’s usually the front line scan for aches and pains of the brain, chest, abdomen, and pelvis. But for orthopedic work, sports injuries, and neurological problems, MRI is the gold standard,” said Kouba. Depending on the patient’s symptoms, doctors may recommend multiple lines of imaging. “They all have their little special niche. In an ultrasound if we scan somebody and we see something, then go ‘yeah I think it’s this but let’s get an MRI to compare it to,’” he said. Whereas a CT, ultrasound, and x-ray take just a few minutes, an MRI can take between 20 and 40 minutes. “MRI uses magnets. We get a different look at the tissues and organs, and by that, doctors can characterize what the injury is, or the pathology is by the appearance of the image,” said Kouba. Imaging like a CT and ultrasound are usually used when the physician is searching for something, whereas an MRI gives a much closer look at the soft tissue or injury to help doctors determine the next step of treatment. The type of imaging used can help health experts determine the problem and the best way to treat it.