Imaging examinations

Imaging is used to study the human body using various methods. Imaging can consist of taking images, but it can also include, for example, measurements of the functions of the body, brain, or nervous system. Imaging is also used as an aid in guiding procedures and providing cancer treatments. 

A physician will assess whether the examination is necessary as a whole. Imaging examinations can be used to diagnose or exclude various diseases and, if necessary, to plan effective treatment.

The most common imaging studies are X-ray examinations, MRI scans, and ultrasound scans.  

More specialized studies include isotope studies to investigate, for example, the extent to which cancer has spread. On the other hand, many diseases can be detected in isotope studies before the structural changes caused by the disease appear when using other imaging methods. 

In isotope studies, a small amount of a radiopharmaceutical is administered to the patient’s body. The patient is then scanned with a gamma camera or a PET scanner. The equipment available is capable of detecting even very small amounts of radiation.