Diagnostic Radiology is a science dealing with theory and practice in the application of radiation for studying the structure and functions of healthy and pathologically changed organs and systems of human beings and animals, which is aimed at prevention and detection of the diseases.
The subjects of diagnostic radiology as science are the variants of interaction between irradiation and its receiver and the human body.
The objects of diagnostic radiology are the human body, radiation sources and receivers.
The methods of diagnostic radiology are the following:
1. Radiologic method (radiodiagnosis).
2. Computed tomography (CT).
3. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
4. Ultrasound (ultrasound imaging).
Radionuclide method [scintigraphy, single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT)]
The main criteria that differ from the methods of diagnostic radiology from each other are:
► the methodology of receiving the diagnostic images;
► the pattern of image formation (skialogy);
► radiation symptoms of pathological changes (radiological semiotics);
► principles and features of data interpretation;
► principles of differential diagnosis.
The main criterion that unites the above-mentioned methods and diagnostic radiology is the use of different radiation for the non-destructive and remote study of the structure and function of organs and systems.
There are several diagnostic methods which are based on several radiations and have not been included in general clinical practice. These methods are thermography, optical tomography, optical coherence tomography and synchrophasotron tomography.
There are two types of radiations which have implication to diagnostic radiology - ionizing and non-ionizing.