Are you searching for an Imaging Center near me in Houston, TX? Located on the first floor of the Clinic, the Diagnostic Imaging Services Department, also known as Radiology, offers a variety of imaging modalities to assist your physician in evaluating and diagnosing your health.
Accredited by the American College of Radiology (ACR), our Diagnostic Imaging Services Department offers state-of-the-art equipment including:
MRI & MRA or Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Angiography uses a high-powered 1.5 Tesla magnet and radio waves to produce images of organs and structures to:
Commonly called a CT scanner, our Computed Tomography modality is an advanced 128-slice CT. It is also known as a CAT (computerized axial tomography) scan. This is a unique exam because it combines the use of X-rays and a computer to produce clear sharp pictures within your body. The images of your body are divided into slices, from which the radiologist is able to see bones and soft tissues. This diagnostic tool provides a quicker, more accurate diagnosis of many medical conditions that are very difficult to detect with regular X-rays. Additionally, this CT results in much more detailed images and larger volume coverage making it easier to diagnose potentially difficult-to-identify conditions as well as offers shorter scan times (compared to a 64-slice) for patients. A more open 80 cm gantry aperture spaciously accommodates most patients.
The newest CT Systems like ours, include new features that improve their radiation efficiency so that clear CT images can be captured at less radiation dose than in the past. Because radiation exposure is cumulative over a person’s lifetime, it is important to receive the smallest exposure each time you have an x-ray exam. It is compliant with federal legislation for improved radiation safety.
CT scans help doctors diagnose problems by creating clear images of internal tissue, bone, organs and blood vessels. The CT scan is very useful in locating benign and malignant tumors. They are commonly used to create a map of a person’s body, helping doctors to perform surgeries with precision. They are used to diagnose or rule-out problems such as cancers, cardiovascular disease, infectious disease, trauma and musculoskeletal disorders.
Scans for the following are performed at MCH:
3D™ mammography imaging technology or Tomosynthesis improves the ability of mammography to detect early breast cancers, and decreases the number of women “called back” for additional tests for findings that are not cancers.
It delivers a more comfortable mammogram while maintaining clinical accuracy by providing our physicians with the industry’s fastest, highest resolution 3D™ images to accelerate screening and analysis.
3D™ mammography offer the SmartCurve breast stabilization system, which is clinically proven to deliver a more comfortable mammogram without compromising image quality, workflow or dose[i], and the new Clarity HD high-resolution 3D™ imaging technology, which provides radiologists with the highest resolution 3D™ images2 to help identify cancers early. These innovations come as part of MCH’s ongoing commitment to superior breast cancer detection and providing an improved mammogram experience for our patients. The technology increases diagnostic confidence with its exceptional images and has the potential to increase screening volume and compliance for the countless women who have reported avoiding regular mammograms due in large part to the fear of discomfort associated with breast compression.
The SmartCurve system and Clarity HD high-resolution 3D™ imaging technology are available exclusively with Hologic’s Genius™ 3D Mammography™ exam, which is currently in use by MCH and detects more invasive cancers, reduces false positives, and is FDA approved as superior, compared to conventional 2D mammography for all women, including those with dense breasts.3,4,5
[i] Smith, A. Improving Patient Comfort in Mammography. Hologic WP-00119 Rev 003 (2017).
2 Data on file and from public sources, 2017
3 Results from Friedewald, SM, et al. “Breast cancer screening using tomosynthesis in combination with digital mammography.” JAMA 311.24 (2014): 2499-2507; a multi-site (13), non-randomized, historical control study of 454,000 screening mammograms investigating the initial impact the introduction of the Hologic Selenia® Dimensions ® on screening outcomes. Individual results may vary. The study found an average 41% (95% CI: 20-65%) increase and that 1.2 (95% CI: 0.8-1.6) additional invasive breast cancers per 1000 screening exams were found in women receiving combined 2D FFDM and 3D™ mammograms acquired with the Hologic 3D Mammography™ system versus women receiving 2D FFDM mammograms only.
4 Bernardi D, Macaskill P, Pellegrini M, et. al. Breast cancer screening with tomosynthesis (3D mammography) with acquired or synthetic 2D mammography compared with 2D mammography alone (STORM-2): a population-based prospective study. Lancet Oncol. 2016 Aug;17(8):1105-13.
5 U.S. Food & Drug Administration Premarket Approval (PMA). FDA.gov https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfpma/pma.cfm?id=P080003 accessed June 5, 2017.
Ultra Sound imaging uses sound waves to produce images of soft tissues inside the body. Types include:
Bone densitometry or Bone Mineral Density (BMD) screening uses a small dose of radiation and is the gold standard to diagnose osteoporosis and to determine fracture risk through the imaging and evaluation of spine, hip and /or elbow.
TBS – Trabecular Bone Score is a texture analysis, related to bone microarchitecture, rather than a direct measurement, and is computed from data contained in AP Spine DXA scan only TBS is used as a diagnostic tool for fracture risk assessment as well as for treatment monitoring.
Digital X-ray uses a small dose of radiation to produce images of body structures.
Our Radiology technologists, guiding patients through 45,000 procedures a year, are certified and licensed by the Texas Department of Health, American Registry of Radiologic Technologist (ARRT), or American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS), as applicable.
To request radiology results and/or images please click here By you signing a Medical Records ‘Release of Information’ authorization, your written directions will be followed.
The Diagnostic Imaging Services Department can be reached at (713) 526-5511 ext. 4500.
On-site radiology readings are provided by Houston Northwest Radiology Association radiologists who are board certified in General, Breast Imaging, Musculoskeletal, Neuro-Radiology, and/or Nuclear Medicine. Interpretive reports and images are available on-line during and after business hours to all MCH physicians.
Radiology is a medical specialty that uses medical imaging to diagnose and treat diseases within the human body. Radiologists are medical doctors who have completed at least one year of internship and four years in radiology residency, often with additional year(s) of fellowship training. They specialize in diagnosing and treating injuries and diseases using medical imaging procedures (exams/tests), including X-rays, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), nuclear medicine, 3D mammography, positron emission tomography (PET), bone density, and ultrasound.
