Diagnostic Imaging
Advanced Diagnostic Tools for Faster Treatment
Modern medicine wouldn't be what it is today without high-tech diagnostic
imaging. Physicians use imaging tests to diagnose disease and injury.
In this rapidly evolving medical field, we've made a commitment to
stay at the forefront by acquiring state-of-the-art imaging equipment
that can take images of your body's structures with remarkable clarity
and detail, making diagnosis even faster and more accurate.
Whether you're admitted to our Emergency Department or need an outpatient
procedure, you may undergo one of the following imaging tests:
- X-ray
- CT (computed tomography) scan
- MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan
- Nuclear scan
- Ultrasound
- Bone Density scan
The Versatility of CT Scanning
Perhaps no other type of scanner is as utilitarian as CT. These scanners
use powerful, focused X-ray pulses to capture detailed cross-sections
of the body, including soft tissues, bone, and blood vessels. CTs are
useful for detecting cancers -such as brain tumors or cancer in the lungs
or abdomen -kidney stones, bleeding, infections, and fractures. In SGVMC's
emergency room, our CT scanner is invaluable for fast scans of traumatic
internal injuries, as well as rapid diagnosis of strokes.
SGVMC has one of the most advanced CT scanners in the area – the
Toshiba Aquilion™ 128 CT Scanner. The Aquilion delivers uncompromising
image quality - showing even the smallest vessels and tissue, like those
in the heart and lungs - for quick and precise disease detection. And,
the Aquilion requires a much smaller radiation dose than other CTs, which
is a significant factor in improving patient safety.
Diagnosing with MRI
Like CTs, MRls show cross-sections of the body, but they use a magnetic
field and radio waves to create high resolution 3-D images. MRIs
work best for showing soft tissues and organs that contain water, as opposed
to bone. SGVMC radiologists use MRIs to examine countless areas of the
body and detect conditions such as tumors, blood clots, poor blood flow,
bleeding, infections, and joint problems. MRIs may also be used as an
adjunct test to mammography for women at high risk of breast cancer. San
Gabriel Valley Medical Center's 1.5 Teslar MRI provides physicians
with extraordinarily detailed images to help them diagnosis disease and injury.
Nuclear Scanning with the GE (TM) Infinia Hawkeye ®
Nuclear medicine has been a fundamental component of diagnostic imaging
for years. Nuclear medicine cameras have a special niche; they can show
not only the structure of an area of the body, but also how it functions.
During the test, a radioactive tracer is injected, which circulates through
the body. The camera detects the location and concentration of this tracer.
This highly specialized camera can help diagnose blood-flow irregularities,
problems in the thyroid, damaged heart tissue, and tumors.
SGVMC was the first hospital in California to acquire the GE Infinia Hawkeye
Nuclear Medicine Camera.
Concerned About Osteoporosis?
If you're a woman past menopause, take note: osteoporosis -a potentially
crippling bone disease, afflicts 50 percent of postmenopausal Caucasian
and Asian women.
The good news; Osteoporosis is preventable and treatable.
At SGVMC, you can check your risk for osteoporosis with bone density testing,
an advanced technology called DXA (short for dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry)
which safely, accurately, and painlessly measures bone mineral density.
During a comprehensive examination with DXA, you lay comfortably still
on a padded table while the DXA unit scans two or more areas, usually
the fracture-prone hip and spine. Unlike typical x-ray machines, radiation
exposure during bone densitometry is extremely low -less than the radiation
exposure during a coast-to-coast airline flight. The entire process takes
only minutes to complete, depending on the number of sites scanned. It
involves no injections or invasive procedures, and patients remain fully
clothed. DXA is a fast, convenient and precise way to measure bone density,
and uncover vertebral fracture to help determine a woman's risk of
developing osteoporosis and future fractures.
To schedule a bone density scan, please call (626) 570-6520.