X-Rays Made Easy

What is It?

    Fluoroscopy is a study of moving body structures that is similar to an X-ray "movie". It can be used to check and observe multiple systems in the human body, such as digestive and respiratory systems. Fluoroscopy can evaluate specific areas of the body, including the bones, muscles, and joints, as well as solid organs, such as the heart, lung, or kidneys.

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How Does It Work?

    A continuous X-ray beam is passed through the body part being examined, which is transmitted to a TV-like monitor so that the body part and its motion can be seen in detail.

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History

    Fluoroscopy came into this world in the 1890s when Thomas Edison began investigating materials for ability to fluoresce when x-rayed, and by the turn of the century he had discovered fluoroscopy with a sufficient image definition to be sold. Edison discovered that calcium tungstate produced the brightest image.

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Multiple Uses

    Fluoroscopy is used in many types of examinations and procedures, including barium X-rays, cardiac catheterization, arthrography (visualization of a joint or joints), lumbar puncture, placement of intravenous (IV) catheters (hollow tubes inserted into veins or arteries), intravenous pyelogram, and biopsies. Fluoroscopy may be used alone as a diagnostic procedure or alongside other diagnostic or therapeutic procedures. In barium X-rays, fluoroscopy used alone allows the doctor to see the movement of the intestines as the barium moves through them. In cardiac catheterization, fluoroscopy allows the doctor to see the flow of blood through the coronary arteries in order to evaluate the presence of arterial blockages. Other uses of fluoroscopy include locating foreign objects in the body, image guided anesthetic injections into joints or the spine, and treating compression fractures of the vertebrae of the spine.