Specialty6 min read

Radiology (diagnostic and interventional)

Detail level

A radiologist is a physician who uses imaging methods to diagnose and manage patients and provide therapeutic options, acting as a consultant to the referring doctor.

According to FREIDA: a radiologist is a "physician who uses imaging methodologies to diagnose and manage patients and offer treatment options". According to RadiologyInfo: a doctor who specialises in diagnosing and treating a variety of conditions using X-rays, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), nuclear medicine, positron emission tomography (PET) and ultrasound. According to MedlinePlus diagnostic imaging is "medical tests that produce pictures of the inside of the body".

RadiologyInfo says that the radiologist is "an expert consultant to the referring physician", helping choose appropriate tests and interpret results, linking imaging findings to other tests, and possibly recommending further tests or treatments; the radiographer operates the machine while the doctor reviews and interprets the images. RadiologyInfo states that interventional radiology is a specialty that performs "minimally invasive treatments guided by imaging" and says they have "less risk, less pain and shorter recovery compared with open surgery". This page does not cover radiation dose data, nor criteria for choosing the type of test for each condition.

In one minute¹²³

What is it?: The specialty of diagnosing and following conditions by medical imaging, with image-guided treatments (interventional radiology).
Who is usually affected?: Anyone referred by their doctor for an imaging test or an image-guided procedure.
Acute or chronic?: The appropriate test is chosen with the referring doctor, then the images are interpreted and a report is written and returned to the treating doctor.
Main symptoms: No symptoms specific to the specialty; it is used to understand the cause of symptoms.
Red flags?: This page does not list danger signs; emergency symptoms are assessed first in the emergency department.
Preventable?: This page does not cover prevention advice; but according to MedlinePlus, imaging helps detect problems early.

What is it?

"A physician who uses imaging methodologies to diagnose and manage patients and offer treatment options" (FREIDA). According to RadiologyInfo: a "doctor who specialises in diagnosing and treating a variety of medical conditions" using X-rays, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, nuclear medicine, positron emission tomography and ultrasound, and is "an essential part of your health care team".

Conditions it covers

According to MedlinePlus diagnostic imaging is used to "find health problems early", find the cause of pain or other symptoms, plan treatment, and monitor a condition or the effectiveness of treatment, and may "guide medical procedures" such as placing catheters or stents. According to the FDA imaging tests are used "for diagnosis, monitoring or treatment", and each type gives different information about the area of the body being studied.

According to FREIDA the recognised subspecialties are: neuroradiology, nuclear radiology, paediatric radiology, abdominal radiology, musculoskeletal radiology and neurointerventional radiology, and the methods include breast imaging. According to RadiologyInfo interventional radiology (image-guided) treats diseases including vascular diseases, stroke, uterine fibroids and cancer.

Related pages on this site: oncology, stroke, the skeletal system, the brain and the circulation. The link to oncology and stroke is based on RadiologyInfo mentioning them among the treatments of interventional radiology; to the skeleton and brain on FREIDA mentioning musculoskeletal and neuro-radiology; and to the circulation on the mention of vascular diseases, angioplasty and stents.

Common tests and procedures

According to FREIDA: film or digital X-rays, magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, breast imaging (mammography, ultrasound and MRI), nuclear medicine procedures including PET, ultrasound, and catheter-based interventional radiology procedures. According to the FDA: ultrasound, MRI and medical X-rays (including radiography, computed tomography, fluoroscopy and mammography) and paediatric radiology.

Examples of interventional procedures according to RadiologyInfo: angioplasty, stents, clot dissolving, embolisation, image-guided thermal or cryoablation, and biopsies. This page does not cover details of risks or preparation for each test, and these are discussed with the doctor and radiology team.

When to see one

According to RadiologyInfo: a radiologist's training consists of a programme of "at least four years", and many add one or two years of subspecialty training, and certification by the American Board of Radiology represents the highest level. According to FREIDA five years: one year of clinical training and four years of radiology.

The treating doctor often requests the imaging test and reviews the radiologist's report (RadiologyInfo). Referral to the specialist is usually decided by the primary care provider according to the condition. This page does not cover detailed criteria for requesting tests.

When do you need urgent help?

Get urgent care today

Severe or sudden pain, or weakness, or disturbance of speech or vision, or shortness of breath, or a severe injury: seek emergency care and do not wait for an imaging appointment. (A conservative general warning that is no substitute for assessment; this page does not cover detailed lists of danger signs.)⁴⁵

Educational content only — no diagnosis, and no substitute for a clinician.

Common questions

What is the difference between a radiologist and a radiographer?

According to RadiologyInfo the technologist operates the imaging machine, whereas the radiologist is a doctor who reviews and interprets the images, writes the report and acts as a consultant to the referring doctor.²

Is radiology only for diagnosis?

No; according to RadiologyInfo interventional radiology offers minimally invasive image-guided treatments for diseases including vascular diseases, stroke and cancer.³

Questions for your doctor

Which imaging test is most suitable for my condition, and why?
Are there alternatives, or earlier tests that avoid repeating the test?
What preparation is needed, and is a contrast agent required?
When will the result arrive, and who will explain it to me?

References

1
AMA FREIDA. Radiology-diagnostic — specialty description. freida.ama-assn.org/specialty/radiology-diagnostic
Educational & historical references · Accessed 2026-10-06
2
RadiologyInfo.org (ACR/RSNA). What is a radiologist?. www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info/radiologist
Educational & historical references · Accessed 2026-10-06
3
RadiologyInfo.org (ACR/RSNA). Interventional radiology. www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info/interventional-radiology
Educational & historical references · Accessed 2026-10-06
4
MedlinePlus. Diagnostic imaging. medlineplus.gov/diagnosticimaging.html
Health agencies & guidelines · Accessed 2026-10-06
5
U.S. FDA. Medical imaging. www.fda.gov/radiation-emitting-products/radiation-emitting-products-and-procedures/medical-imaging
Health agencies & guidelines · Accessed 2026-10-06

Review status: Edited content · Last updated: 2026-10-06

Change log

2026-10-06 — Page created.