Blog

AVM in the arm, leg, hand or foot? A simple guide to AV malformation treatment: symptoms, stages, Doppler and CT angiography, embolization, recovery, results and risks.

PNG visa chest X-ray made simple: what the Papua New Guinea Radiological Report form asks, name and date on the X-ray, passport check, Part A and Part B, report words explained, TB findings and safety.

Moving to Papua New Guinea for work? A simple guide to the PNG visa medical: the official medical form, HIV test, chest X-ray and radiological report, police clearance, preparation and common mistakes.

Spider veins on the legs? A simple guide to spider veins treatment: causes, when a Doppler is needed, how sclerotherapy works, pain, sessions, results, side effects, laser and home remedies.

An MRI of the jaw joint is the only test that shows the TMJ disc — and it is done twice, mouth closed and mouth open, because the whole diagnosis depends on whether the disc moves back into place. This guide explains anterior disc displacement with and without reduction, why clicking and locking mean different things, the braces artefact problem, why ear pain is so often a jaw problem, and the honest fact that disc displacement is common in people with no symptoms at all.

A CT peripheral angiogram maps every artery from the aorta to the arch of the foot — the roadmap a vascular surgeon needs before an angioplasty or a bypass. This guide explains run-off vessels and why they decide what surgery is possible, the heavy-calcification problem that limits CTA in diabetes and kidney disease, contrast timing, radiation, when an arterial Doppler is enough instead, and the one situation that is a surgical emergency rather than a scan appointment.

A follicular study is not one scan but a short series across your cycle, tracking a follicle as it grows and confirming whether it actually released an egg. This guide explains the day it starts, how many scans to expect, what follicle size and endometrial thickness actually mean, how ovulation is confirmed on the images, what happens in PCOS and in luteinised unruptured follicle syndrome, the transvaginal versus transabdominal question handled plainly, and how to prepare.

An MRI of the ankle and foot shows everything an X-ray cannot — ligaments, tendons, cartilage, the plantar fascia and bone marrow. It is also the single most important test in the diabetic foot, where it separates osteomyelitis from Charcot neuroarthropathy, two conditions with opposite treatments. This guide covers Achilles and ligament tears, plantar fasciitis, stress fractures, osteochondral lesions, Morton’s neuroma, implant safety and how to read your report.

An ultrasound KUB is the usual first test for kidney stones, flank pain, blood in the urine and poor urinary flow — no radiation, no injection, and repeatable as often as needed. But it has one genuine blind spot in the middle of the ureter that nobody explains to patients. This guide covers the full-bladder preparation, hydronephrosis grading, the twinkling artefact, post-void residual urine, what the report terms mean, and exactly when a CT KUB becomes necessary.

MR enterography is the small bowel scan of choice for Crohn’s disease because it uses no radiation — which matters enormously when you are young and will be scanned repeatedly for decades. This guide explains the oral contrast preparation honestly, how the scan separates active inflammation from a fibrotic stricture, what MaRIA scoring means, when CT enterography is better instead, and how to read your report.