Modern day medical imaging is available either locally in Leicestershire or nationally.
As a practice, we are knowledgeable about the various types of imaging that are available and which specific requests to make for different areas of the body and for various types of diagnosis.
We have excellent contacts with Radiologists who will advise us on an individual basis.
We have easy and swift access to the most appropriate imaging for the presenting issue or symptom.
Below is a little more information about different X-rays and scans that are available. These are examples only as you may be aware that medical imaging is becoming more and more sophisticated, so that we constantly have to be aware of change and how to ensure that we request the best possible X-ray and/or scan for you.
Chest X-rays
Give information about the size of your heart and problems in the lungs. They do not give as much information as a CT scan
CT scan
Give more information about the lungs for more complex underlying conditions; also used for the head abdomen and pelvis.
MRI scan
Used frequently in cardiological investigation. Also for the head; brainstem, neck chest and lower back
CT pulmonary angiogram
Test used when there is concern about blood clots in the lung
Ultrasound scan
Used in pregnancy to evaluate. Also used to check for ovarian cancer or look for problems in the liver, kidneys or spleen. Useful for diagnosis if there is a swelling in areas such as the thyroid, skin or other organs
EBT scan
Used in cardiology as it measures the amount of calcium in the walls of the arteries supplying the heart. There is a degree of correlation between this and how much the artery is blocked by plaque. It is not a straight correlation, but your doctor will advise you
Echocardiogram
Looks mechanically at the structure of the heart to check whether the chambers are enlarged, if there are problems with blood flow or issues with the heart valves
PET scan
Used to check the activity of certain conditions such as Lyme disease and to identify other areas of inflammation in the body
Neuroquant MRI imaging of the head
Used to assess patients with dementia, particularly useful to correlate the diagnosis with chronic inflammatory response syndrome