fluoroscopy
Meaning of fluoroscopy: Fluoroscopy is an imaging procedure that produces continuous, real-time x-ray pictures, commonly used to watch swallowed contrast or guide device placement.
Definition of fluoroscopy
Fluoroscopy is an imaging procedure that uses a continuous, low-dose stream of x-rays to produce a real-time moving picture of internal structures, in contrast to a standard x-ray, which captures only a single still image. The images are generated using a machine called a fluoroscope and displayed on a screen as the procedure takes place.
Because fluoroscopy shows movement as it happens, it is used whenever observing a structure in motion, or tracking the position of something within the body over time, provides useful information. Common uses include watching swallowed contrast material move through the digestive tract and guiding the placement of catheters, joint injections, or other devices during a procedure.
Radiation exposure during fluoroscopy depends largely on how long the equipment is actively producing images, so the imaging time is generally limited to what is needed to complete the specific procedure being performed.
Used in a sentence
Fluoroscopy was used to confirm correct placement of the feeding tube.
Good to know
Fluoroscopy differs from a standard x-ray primarily in showing continuous movement rather than a single still image, which is why it is chosen specifically when watching a structure in motion provides useful information.
Word origin
Where “fluoroscopy” comes from
Formed from fluorescence, describing the glow produced when certain compounds are struck by radiation, and the Greek suffix -scopy, from skopein, meaning to view or examine.