Common Medical Report Terms Explained

A condition that has come on suddenly or recently. "Acute findings" need prompt attention. Opposite of chronic.

Partial collapse of part of a lung. Usually reversible. Looks like a small white patch on chest X-ray.

Wasting or shrinkage of a tissue or organ due to disease, disuse, or ageing.

One side differs from the other. Radiologists note asymmetry to flag areas for closer review.

Affecting both sides (e.g. bilateral lung opacities = both lungs affected).

Not cancerous or life-threatening. A benign lesion is not malignant.

Calcium deposits visible as bright white spots on X-ray or CT. Often benign (old infection, ageing). Context matters.

Enlarged heart on X-ray. The heart shadow is wider than half the chest width.

Long-standing, ongoing condition. "Chronic changes" suggest this has been present for a long time.

Lung airspaces filled with fluid/pus/cells instead of air. Appears white/grey. Classic sign of pneumonia.

Disruption in the hard outer shell of a bone — usually indicates a fracture.

How bright or white something appears on an X-ray. High density = white (bone, fluid). Low density = dark (air).

Spread throughout an area rather than localised. "Diffuse bilateral changes" = widespread in both lungs.

Abnormal fluid collection in a body cavity. Pleural effusion = fluid around lung. Pericardial effusion = fluid around heart.

An area that appears brighter after contrast injection. Suggests active blood flow — seen in tumours or inflammation.

Scarring or thickening of tissue. Pulmonary fibrosis = scarred lung tissue, which is irreversible.

Affecting a specific, limited area rather than widespread. "Focal opacity" = one localised area, not the whole lung.

An area that appears whiter than expected on an X-ray. Can mean fluid, inflammation, infection.

Part of a structure pushing through where it shouldn't. Disc herniation = spinal disc bulging out, compressing nerves.

On ultrasound: appears brighter than surrounding tissue. Fat, calcification, or gas can be hyperechoic.

On ultrasound: appears darker than surrounding tissue. Simple cysts are anechoic (completely dark).

On CT: appears darker than surrounding tissue. Fluid, fat, or necrosis can be hypodense.

On CT: appears brighter than surrounding tissue. Fresh blood, calcification, or contrast dye appears hyperdense.

Substance (fluid, inflammatory cells) spreading into lung tissue. Often used to describe infection or inflammation on X-ray.

The radiologist's overall conclusion or diagnosis at the end of the report. Read this first.

To the side. "Lateral X-ray" = taken from the side. "Lateral aspect" = the outer/side portion.

A general term for any abnormal area of tissue. Lesions can be benign or malignant — need further characterisation.

A darker-than-normal area on X-ray. In bone: may indicate fracture, cyst, or destruction.

Enlarged lymph nodes. Can be from infection (reactive) or tumour spread. Size and location determine urgency.

Cancerous. A malignant lesion has the potential to invade nearby tissue or spread to other organs.

A lump or solid swelling. Detected on imaging, but tissue sampling (biopsy) is often needed to determine if benign or malignant.

The central compartment of the chest between the lungs. Contains the heart, trachea, oesophagus, and large vessels.

A small round lesion (<3 cm). Pulmonary nodules are common and usually benign, but need follow-up if new or growing.

Radiologist found nothing urgently concerning at this time. Good news — but correlate with your symptoms.

Mildly reduced bone density — a step before osteoporosis. Bones appear slightly less white on X-ray.

Significantly reduced bone density. Increases fracture risk. Bones appear markedly less dense on X-ray.

The double membrane lining the lungs and chest cavity.

Fluid collected between the lung and chest wall. Appears as a white area at the base of the lung.

Air trapped between the lung and chest wall. Lung partially collapses. Emergency if tension pneumothorax.

Toward the back. "Posterior disc herniation" = disc bulging toward the spinal cord.

Areas that X-rays pass through easily — appear dark/black on film. Air and fat are radiolucent.

Areas that block X-rays — appear white/bright. Bone, metal, and contrast dye are radiopaque.

Hardening or thickening of tissue. Bone sclerosis = denser, whiter bone — can be healing or pathological.

How bright or dark an area appears on MRI. Varies by pulse sequence (T1, T2, FLAIR).

Age-related degenerative changes in the spine — bone spurs, disc space narrowing. Very common finding.

Narrowing of a passage — spinal canal stenosis, coronary artery stenosis, etc.

Affecting only one side. "Unilateral opacity" = only one lung affected.

Normal. One of the best words in a radiology report. "Unremarkable kidneys" = perfectly normal kidneys.