Radiology and Imaging

Magnetic Resonance Imaging:

What is it used for  ?
MRI is one of the most recent medical imaging techniques giving  very detailed analyzes when some lesions are not visible on ultrasound, CT and standard  radiographs.
MRI 1.5T GE 450W closely and accurately studies the whole body and its organs such as the brain, heart, spine, articulations, soft tissues...

How is this examination proceeded?

• You must mention your arrival at the Imaging Unit reception
• Before performing the examination, you will go to the cloakroom to undress (you will be told  what clothes you need to take off ).
• You will need to remove all metal objects (jewelry, watches, glasses, hearing and dentures aids, ...) as well as magnetic cards (bank, ...)
• You  must not be wearing  a cardiac pacemaker for it will  fails.
• For more comfort, You can go to the restroom before entering into the machine.
• During the examination, you will be lying on the MRI table, often on the back. An aerial is placed at the organ to visualize then you will automatically enter in the machine. An injection of contrast might be performed in order to improve the image quality. Do not move and breathe gently so that the images are of a  good quality
• You will not be alone; the medical staff sees and hears you. They will communicate with you using a microphone.
• The examination lasts 30 minutes to 1 hour depending on the organ to be studied, it is relatively long.
•  At the end, the radiologist will give you a first comment. The final report will be sent as soon as possible to your doctor. He will explain the results and tell you what to do. 

Is it fainful ?

The examination is completely painless..
Setting up the infusion for the contrast injection is not more painful  than a simple blood test.
The contrast may be responsible for an allergic reaction usually harmless.

What documents to bring ?

You should bring:

• The letter from your physician and your prescriptions
• Your social security card
• The reports of previous examinations that will enable us to make the comparison.

What to point out ?

• If you pregnant or you are likely to be ,this would  help us to take precautions
• If you wear a cardiac pacemaker or any implantable electronic device (they contraindicate  the examination for they may fail)
• If you wear a metallic foreign body (prosthesis, surgical clips, ocular implant, metal splinter in the eye ...). They could move because of the magnet.
• If you are claustrophobic.

This technique consists on using ultrasounds emitted by a high frequency probe, inaudible, which propagate at different speeds in the body tissues, which they cross ,and spread to form an image of the examined region.
This exam can be coupled to a Doppler allowing to encode in color elements circulating and moving inside a body, which is in practical application  used in the large majority of cases to study blood flow within vessels or vascularity of some lesions.

How is this examination proceeded ?

• The radiologist performs this examination
• You will be  lying on a bed in a dark room to easily  read the  images
• A transparent and cold gel will be applied on the skin to allow the ultrasound transmission and denudation of areas to examine.
• If your child is having an  ultrasound examination, you can stay with him.
• The doctor will briefly give oral results that will later be written on your report, and can be delivered the same day.

Thanks to X-ray,this equipment allows to make  cross-sectional images of the human body.
This examination provides information  that are often decisive for an accurate diagnosis.
The scanner can explore all organs using different techniques: angiography (vessels), CT coronary angiography (coronary), CT myelography (spinal cord), CT enteroclysis (small intestine) colonography (large intestine), arthrography (articulation).
Precautions for pregnant women must be taken systematically, that is why you should mention your pregnancy before the examination.

How is this examination proceeded ?

You will lie on a bed which moves in a large ring.
You will be , most frequently, lying on the back and alone in the examination room.
Paramedics may contact you through a microphone and can intervene at any moment.
You must remain motionless, arms are along the body or behind the head.
The examination is usually quick, you will stay for almost 15 minutes in the scanner room.
Some exams require, as appropriate, intravenous injection, usually in the elbow crease, to take a drink or to have an enema.
The doctor will give you  a first comment right after the exam. This is a first approach because the images must be analyzed on a computer.
The written report will be available as soon as possible.

What to point out ?

• If you have or  had allergy problems, a particular reaction  during a radiological examination.
• If you have heart or lung or   kidney disease.
• If you are diabetic.
• If you have recently had an x-ray of the stomach, intestine and colon.
• If you are pregnant or likely to be.

What documents  to bring  ?

• The letter from your doctor and your prescriptions.
• Radiological folder in your possession (ultrasound, X-rays, scans, MRI).
• The written list of medications you take .
• All  your blood analysis results.
• Your social Security card.

If you are asked to come fasting:

• Do not eat solid food for 3 hours before appointment.
• Do not smoke before the examination.

This is a painless test which does not take much time and takes place in a lying position.
It requires no preparation or injection. It's like the classic radios, uses the X-ray with a much lower dose.
Osteodensitometry  is usually required only when suspecting an osteoporosis after a fracture for example, or when the person has several risk factors (family history, thin, menopausal ...).

What is it used for ?

• Mammography is used to study the mammary gland and early detect breast cancer.
• It searches for anomalies.
• It makes it possible to identify the lesions before  the surgery: a wire is placed under the control of mammography in order to guide the surgeon in the  removal of  the abnormal area.
• This examination should be performed every two to three years for women starting from 40 years.
• Mammography is indicated when discovering  a lump in the breast, abnormal nipple secretion , an abnormality of the breast skin.

How is this examination proceeded?

• You must report your arrival at the Imaging Unit reception.
• Before the examination, you will go to the cloakroom to undress (you will be told what clothes you need to take off).
• During the examination, the radiologist will begin by manual palpation of the breasts and a first breast is placed in the machine and then gradually compressed. After checking its correct position, the radiological picture is taken.
• Do not move and stop breathing, the breast is decompressed and the operation will be repeated for the 2nd breast.
• The exam lasts approximately 20 minutes.
• In case of problems during the examination, do not hesitate to report to medical staff.
• After the examination, the radiologist will give you a first comment. His final report will be sent to your doctor as soon as possible.

Is it painful?

This is an uncomfortable examination since we compress the breast between two plates but it is not painful. After all, it will depend on the sensitivity of your breasts.

What documents to bring ?

• The letter from your physician and your prescriptions.
• Your social security card.
• The reports of previous examinations that will enable us to make the comparison.

What to point out  ?

• If you are pregnant or likely to be.