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Imaging

Question:

Should I get an MRI for my back pain if I have been in pain for less than 6 weeks and don’t have red flag signs (neurologic weakness, inability to control bowel or bladder function, persistent fever with back pain, unintentional weight loss)?
If I don’t have any symptoms, should I get screened for pancreatic cancer?
If I’m aged 50-74 does a screening mammogram, reduce my chance of dying from breast cancer?
If I am a woman who has never smoked, should I get an ultrasound screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm?
If I am a male over age 65 and have smoked more than 100 cigarettes in my life, should I get an ultrasound screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm?
Do I need an ultrasound confirmation if I have obvious signs of an inguinal hernia?
Do I need an ultrasound confirmation if I have obvious signs of an inguinal hernia?
Should I have a coronary calcium score test to check my heart before any surgery?
If I do NOT have an increased risk for colon cancer (like history of colon cancer in my father) and I have a “normal” colonoscopy, (meaning no precancerous polyps found) should I get a repeat colonoscopy any sooner than ten years?
Should I get a chest x-ray to screen for lung cancer?
Should I get a screening CT scan of my lungs to look for lung cancer if I am smoked less than 1 pack per day for less than 30 years?
Should I get a screening CT scan of my lungs to look for lung cancer if I am age 55-80 and have smoked an average of 20 cigarettes or more daily for 30 years?
Should I get a screening ultrasound of my carotid arteries to evaluate for my risk of stroke?
Should I get a back MRI if I have had low back pain for less than 6 weeks without fever, weight loss, personal history of cancer, or inability to control my bowel or bladder movements?
Should I get surgery to remove my gall bladder if I have stones but no pain?
If I have a thyroid nodule larger than 1.5cm or abnormal lymph nodes around the nodule, do I need to get a thyroid ultrasound to monitor progression?
If I am over age 35, and discovered that I have a 1.5cm or smaller thyroid nodule and no previous history of neck radiation or family history of thyroid cancer, do I need to have periodic imaging to make sure it doesn’t turn into cancer?
If I am under age 35, and discovered that I have a 1.0cm or smaller thyroid nodule and no previous history of neck radiation or family history of thyroid cancer, do I need to have periodic imaging to make sure it doesn’t turn into cancer?
Do I need an x-ray of my ankle if just after injuring it, I have pain when I press on the “ankle bone” (medial or lateral malleolus) and am unable to walk due to pain?
Do I need to see a heart doctor to have a heart test (echocardiogram) if I have been told I have a heart murmur and otherwise have no chest pain, extreme fatigue, palpitations, dizziness, passing out spells, or troubled breathing?
Should I get a CT scan of my abdomen and pelvis if I have recurrent abdominal pain or low back pain, am under 50 years old, and have a history of kidney stones in the past?
Should I get a CT scan or MRI of my brain if I have headaches that aren’t causing neurological signs (for example weakness in the right hand, double vision, loss of vision, trouble speaking, sudden thunderclap onset, weakness in left foot, etc)?
Should I get a screening chest x-ray for my upcoming elective surgery (for example: gallbadder removal, knee surgery, sinus surgery) if I don’t have pre-existing lung problems?
Should I get a CT scan of my sinuses that my doctor ordered if have a recent sinus (pressure inside forehead and/or cheeks) infection?

 

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