Medical Imaging Abbreviations
58 abbreviations · part of Medical Abbreviations
Abbreviations used in radiology orders and reports for X-ray, CT, MRI, ultrasound, nuclear medicine and fluoroscopy studies, together with MRI sequences, contrast agents, standardized scoring systems such as BI-RADS and the computer systems that store medical images. Entries explain what each study shows, whether it involves ionizing radiation or contrast, and how look-alike terms differ. Preparation, contrast use and radiation dose vary by protocol and facility.
| Abbreviation | Stands for | Description |
|---|---|---|
| ADC | Apparent diffusion coefficient | Calculated MRI map quantifying water diffusion in each voxel, read alongside diffusion-weighted images. |
| ALARA | As low as reasonably achievable | Radiation safety principle requiring that exposure to ionizing radiation be kept as low as reasonably achievable while still obtaining the needed diagnostic information… |
| AP | Anteroposterior | Radiographic direction in which X-rays pass from front to back, with the detector behind the patient. |
| AXR | Abdominal X-ray | Plain radiograph of the abdomen, usually taken lying flat (supine) and sometimes upright, used to look for bowel obstruction, free air, constipation, swallowed foreign… |
| BI-RADS | Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System | American College of Radiology system that standardizes mammogram, breast ultrasound and breast MRI reports with final assessment categories from 0 to 6: 0 needs more… |
| BMD | Bone mineral density | Amount of mineral per area of bone, measured by DXA in grams per square centimeter and converted to T- and Z-scores. |
| CBCT | Cone-beam computed tomography | CT technique using a cone-shaped X-ray beam and a flat detector that rotates once around the head, producing 3D images at a lower dose than conventional CT. |
| CECT | Contrast-enhanced computed tomography | CT scan performed after intravenous iodinated contrast, which highlights blood vessels and vascular organs and makes tumors, abscesses, inflammation and active bleeding… |
| CIN | Contrast-induced nephropathy | Acute decline in kidney function after intravenous or intra-arterial iodinated contrast, usually defined as a creatinine rise of at least 0.3 mg/dL or 50 percent within… |
| CT | Computed tomography | Imaging technique that rotates an X-ray tube around the body and uses computer reconstruction to create thin cross-sectional slices showing bone, soft tissue, blood and… |
| CTA | Computed tomography angiography | CT scan performed during a rapid intravenous injection of iodinated contrast, timed to capture arteries at peak enhancement. |
| CTH | Computed tomography of the head | Emergency department shorthand for a head CT, usually without contrast, ordered for trauma, stroke symptoms, sudden severe headache, altered mental status or a first… |
| CTP | Computed tomography perfusion | CT technique that tracks a contrast bolus through brain tissue to map blood flow, blood volume and transit time, separating the irreversibly damaged core from… |
| CTPA | Computed tomography pulmonary angiography | CT angiogram timed for the pulmonary arteries and the standard test to diagnose pulmonary embolism. |
| CTU | Computed tomography urography | Multiphase CT of the kidneys, ureters and bladder that includes a delayed excretory phase after contrast fills the urinary tract. |
| CXR | Chest X-ray | Radiograph of the chest showing the lungs, heart size, mediastinum, diaphragm, ribs and any lines or tubes. |
| DBT | Digital breast tomosynthesis | Mammography technique that takes multiple low-dose images as the X-ray tube sweeps in an arc and reconstructs thin slices through the breast, reducing the tissue… |
| DEXA | Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry | Low-dose X-ray scan, usually of the hip and lumbar spine, that measures bone mineral density to diagnose osteoporosis and estimate fracture risk. |
| DICOM | Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine | International standard for storing and transmitting medical images and related data, used by virtually every CT, MRI, ultrasound and X-ray machine. |
| DSA | Digital subtraction angiography | Catheter angiography technique that records an image before contrast and digitally subtracts it from images after injection, leaving only the opacified blood vessels. |
| DWI | Diffusion-weighted imaging | MRI sequence sensitive to the random movement of water molecules, which becomes restricted in acutely injured brain tissue. |
| DXA | Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry | Preferred technical abbreviation for the bone density scan, used by the International Society for Clinical Densitometry and in guidelines and research. |
| FDG | Fluorodeoxyglucose (F-18) | Radioactive glucose analog labeled with fluorine-18 and the most widely used PET tracer. |
| FLAIR | Fluid-attenuated inversion recovery | MRI sequence that suppresses the bright signal of cerebrospinal fluid so that lesions next to fluid spaces stand out. |
| Fluoro | Fluoroscopy | Real-time X-ray imaging displayed as moving video, used to guide procedures and to watch structures in motion. |
| fMRI | Functional magnetic resonance imaging | MRI method that maps brain activity by detecting changes in blood oxygenation, the BOLD (blood-oxygen-level-dependent) signal, while a person performs tasks or rests. |
| GBCA | Gadolinium-based contrast agent | Intravenous MRI contrast drugs containing gadolinium, a paramagnetic metal held inside a chelate molecule that changes the MRI signal of nearby water. |
| HRCT | High-resolution computed tomography | Thin-section CT of the lungs, using slices of about 1 mm or less and a sharp reconstruction algorithm, to evaluate interstitial lung disease, bronchiectasis and… |
| HSG | Hysterosalpingogram | Fluoroscopic X-ray in which contrast is injected through the cervix to outline the uterine cavity and show whether the fallopian tubes are open. |
| HU | Hounsfield unit | Scale expressing X-ray attenuation, or density, on CT images, with water defined as 0 HU and air as -1000 HU. |
| IVP | Intravenous pyelogram | Series of abdominal X-rays taken after intravenous iodinated contrast is excreted by the kidneys, outlining the renal collecting systems, ureters and bladder. |
| Lat | Lateral | Side-to-side radiographic projection or anatomic direction away from the midline, as in "PA and Lat chest" or "lat ankle". |
| LDCT | Low-dose computed tomography | Chest CT acquired at a fraction of standard radiation dose and used for annual lung cancer screening. |
| LI-RADS | Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System | ACR system for interpreting CT and MRI liver observations in people at high risk of hepatocellular carcinoma, such as those with cirrhosis or chronic hepatitis B. |
| Lung-RADS | Lung CT Screening Reporting and Data System | ACR system for reporting low-dose CT lung cancer screening scans, sorting findings into categories from 0 (incomplete) through 4X (very suspicious), each with a… |
| MBS | Modified barium swallow | Fluoroscopic swallowing study in which a speech-language pathologist and radiology staff watch a patient swallow liquids and foods of different textures mixed with… |
| MR | Magnetic resonance | Radiology shorthand for magnetic resonance imaging and its variants, used in orders and safety labels such as "MR enterography", "MR arthrogram", "MR safe" and "MR… |
| MRA | Magnetic resonance angiography | MRI technique for imaging blood vessels, used to look for aneurysms, narrowing (stenosis), dissections and vascular malformations in the brain, neck, kidneys and legs. |
| MRI | Magnetic resonance imaging | Imaging method that uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves, not X-rays, to produce detailed cross-sectional pictures, especially of soft tissues such as brain… |
| MRV | Magnetic resonance venography | MRI study focused on veins, most often the dural venous sinuses of the brain, to diagnose cerebral venous sinus thrombosis in patients with headache, papilledema or… |
| NCCT | Non-contrast computed tomography | CT scan performed without intravenous contrast, the standard first scan for suspected stroke, head trauma and intracranial hemorrhage, and for kidney stone protocols. |
| OPG | Orthopantomogram | Panoramic dental X-ray that captures all the teeth, both jaws, the temporomandibular joints and the maxillary sinuses in one image as the X-ray tube rotates around the… |
| PA | Posteroanterior | Radiographic direction in which X-rays pass from the back of the body to the front, with the chest pressed against the detector. |
| PACS | Picture archiving and communication system | Hospital computer system that stores, retrieves and displays medical images from X-ray, CT, MRI, ultrasound and other modalities, replacing film. |
| PET | Positron emission tomography | Nuclear medicine scan that images metabolism by detecting radiation from an injected tracer, most often FDG, a radioactive glucose analog taken up avidly by many… |
| PET-CT | Positron emission tomography-computed tomography | Hybrid scan on one machine that fuses metabolic PET images with anatomic CT images, so areas of tracer uptake can be pinned to specific organs and lymph nodes. |
| PI-RADS | Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System | Scoring system from 1 to 5 for lesions on multiparametric prostate MRI, estimating the likelihood of clinically significant prostate cancer. |
| POCUS | Point-of-care ultrasound | Bedside ultrasound performed and interpreted by the treating clinician, such as an emergency physician, intensivist or anesthesiologist, to answer focused questions in… |
| SPECT | Single-photon emission computed tomography | Nuclear medicine technique in which rotating gamma cameras detect single photons from an injected tracer, typically technetium-99m, and reconstruct 3D images of organ… |
| STIR | Short tau inversion recovery | MRI fat-suppression sequence that makes fat dark and fluid bright, highlighting edema in bone marrow, muscle and soft tissue. |
| SUV | Standardized uptake value | Semi-quantitative PET measure comparing tracer concentration in a region with the injected dose divided by body weight, so uniform distribution would give an SUV of 1. |
| Tc-99m | Technetium-99m | Metastable radioactive isotope of technetium whose gamma rays suit gamma camera imaging; it is the most widely used medical radioisotope and is involved in the large… |
| TVUS | Transvaginal ultrasound | Pelvic ultrasound performed with a slender probe placed in the vagina, giving clearer images of the uterus, ovaries and early pregnancy than scanning through the abdomen. |
| US | Ultrasound | Imaging with high-frequency sound waves (typically about 2 to 18 MHz) that reflect off tissues to create real-time pictures without ionizing radiation. |
| USG | Ultrasonography | Term for diagnostic ultrasound used on reports and requisitions in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and parts of Asia and Africa, as in "USG whole abdomen". |
| V/Q scan | Ventilation-perfusion scan | Nuclear medicine study comparing airflow and blood flow in the lungs: the perfusion part uses injected technetium-labeled macroaggregated albumin, and the ventilation… |
| VCUG | Voiding cystourethrogram | Fluoroscopic study in which contrast is instilled into the bladder through a urinary catheter and images are taken during filling and urination. |
| XR | X-ray (radiograph) | Order and report shorthand for plain radiographs, the basic imaging test that passes X-rays through the body onto a detector to show bones, air and dense structures. |
More medical abbreviations
- Anatomy Abbreviations (70)
- Anesthesia Abbreviations (34)
- Cardiology Abbreviations (229)
- Dermatology Abbreviations (52)
- Drug Abbreviations (170)
- Drug Class Abbreviations (113)
- Emergency Medicine Abbreviations (97)
- Endocrinology & Diabetes Abbreviations (64)
- Gastroenterology Abbreviations (85)
- Health Insurance Abbreviations (107)
- Healthcare Credential Abbreviations (122)
- Hematology and Oncology Abbreviations (144)
- Hospital Abbreviations (89)
- Infectious Disease Abbreviations (92)
- Laboratory Test Abbreviations (135)
- Medical Documentation Abbreviations (79)
- Medical Research Abbreviations (94)
- Medical Specialty Abbreviations (47)
- Medication Route Abbreviations (41)
- Mental Health & Psychiatry Abbreviations (100)
- Musculoskeletal & Rheumatology Abbreviations (71)
- Nephrology & Urology Abbreviations (71)
- Neurology Abbreviations (131)
- Nursing Abbreviations (90)
- Obstetrics & Gynecology Abbreviations (89)
- Ophthalmology & ENT Abbreviations (74)
- Patient Assessment Abbreviations (65)
- Pediatric & Neonatal Abbreviations (51)
- Pharmacology Abbreviations (36)
- Pharmacy Abbreviations (134)
- Prescription Abbreviations (77)
- Rehabilitation Abbreviations (98)
- Respiratory Abbreviations (109)
- Surgical Abbreviations (51)