HU

Abbreviation with 2 meanings

HU
Stands forHungary
Meanings2
CategoriesGeography & Places, Medical

HU has two meanings. It stands for Hungary (country code) or Hounsfield unit (medical imaging).

Meanings of HU at a glance

#HU stands forContext
1HungaryGeography & Places › Country Code
2Hounsfield unitMedical › Medical Imaging

1. Hungary

Geography & Places · Country Code Abbreviations

Hungary, capital Budapest, alpha-3 HUN, calls itself Magyarország, but its code follows the English name. The forint (HUF) remains its currency although Hungary joined the EU in 2004.

Example: Hungarian IBANs start with HU and contain 28 characters.

Hungarian uses the same letters as its language code, hu, and the vehicle sign is H. Hungarian names put the family name first, as in Bartók Béla.

2. Hounsfield unit

Medical · Medical Imaging Abbreviations

Scale expressing X-ray attenuation, or density, on CT images, with water defined as 0 HU and air as -1000 HU. Fat measures roughly -50 to -100 HU, soft tissues about +20 to +60 and dense bone several hundred to over a thousand, which lets radiologists characterize tissues.

Example: Adrenal nodule measures 6 HU on non-contrast CT, consistent with a lipid-rich adenoma.

Named after Godfrey Hounsfield, inventor of the CT scanner. Measurements guide everyday decisions: an adrenal nodule of 10 HU or less on non-contrast CT is typically a benign adenoma, and fresh blood measures about 50 to 70 HU. Window and level settings decide which HU range is shown as shades of gray.

More country code abbreviations

  • HM – Heard Island and McDonald Islands
  • HN – Honduras
  • HR – Croatia
  • HT – Haiti
  • ID – Indonesia
  • IE – Ireland
  • IL – Israel
  • IM – Isle of Man

See all 270 country code abbreviations →

More medical imaging abbreviations

  • fMRI – Functional magnetic resonance imaging
  • GBCA – Gadolinium-based contrast agent
  • HRCT – High-resolution computed tomography
  • HSG – Hysterosalpingogram
  • IVP – Intravenous pyelogram
  • Lat – Lateral
  • LDCT – Low-dose computed tomography
  • LI-RADS – Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System

See all 58 medical imaging abbreviations →

Edited by the AbbreviationList.com team. Spotted an error or a missing meaning? Contact us.

This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.