Imaging
Radiography - Ultrasound - Doppler ultrasound- X-Ray- MRI scan - Body Scan - CT scan
Bone measurement

Echocardiography and Doppler test

Echocardiography is a technique which uses ultrasound to produce an image of your heart from all possible angles, by moving a probe over the chest.

As well as producing two dimensional images it can also assess the speed of the blood flow and the movement of the heart muscle. This allows us to determine the health of the heart muscle, the efficiency of the valves and to detect any defects.

This technique also allows us to measure functional parameters such as cardiac output. Furthermore it is a sensitive technique to detect enlargement or weakness of the heart muscle, or to obtain an image of cardiac tumours. All things considered a standard ultrasound scan of the heart is an extremely accurate and quick way to evaluate this vital organ.

Ultrasound of the carotid arteries

'You are as old as your blood vessels' is a rule of thumb for determining someone’s health and health risks.

The carotid arteries, close to the thyroid gland in the neck, are an ideal reflection of the condition of your elastic blood vessels. Just like an ultrasound of the heart, these blood vessels can be examined with a radiation-free ultrasound. During the scan we can check whether there is any narrowing and/or calcification in the arteries, which are responsible for transporting the main blood supply to the brain.

Narrowing of these arteries is the main cause of strokes. The thickness of the middle layer (the IMT) is an accurate measure of the biological age of your arteries.

If calcification occurs there, it is almost certain that there will be calcification in the arteries at the heart. We use this measure of calcification (and its increased or reduced condition) as a measure of your biological age.

Ultrasound of the upper and lower stomach

Ultrasound imaging uses high frequency signals to generate images of the parts of the body on which the probe is placed. This type of test does not use ionising radiation (X-rays).

Because the images are produced live, it is possible to look at the structure and movements of the internal organs and the flow of blood through the blood vessels.

The soft organs in the upper and lower stomach can be displayed very accurately with this pain free test. In this way the condition of the liver, gall bladder, intestines and internal reproductive organs can be examined. Possible defects or tumours can be examined more closely.

Mammography

A mammography screening of the breasts is a radiographic test. Two photographs are taken of each breast to look for any changes in the breast tissue before they can be felt.

Mammograms can also reveal microcalcifications (small deposits of calcium in the breast gland) which can sometimes provide an early indication of the presence of cancer.

• From the age of 40 women are strongly advised to have a mammogram every 1-2 years.
• Women who have a higher risk of breast cancer (family history, genetic risk, ...) should consult their doctor about whether it is useful to start having yearly mammograms before the age of 40.

Ultrasound of the thyroid gland

The thyroid is found in the neck, just under the Adam’s apple.

It is shaped like a butterfly and the two lobes on each side are attached by a small piece of tissue in the middle. It is one of the nine endocrine glands which produce hormones and release them into the body.

An ultrasound scan of the thyroid is performed to provide early detection of any defects in this gland:

• A thickening/lump in the gland
• A poorly functioning thyroid gland