Who the report is for
A radiologist writes the report for the doctor who requested the scan, not as a letter to you. The language is compressed. A sentence that sounds alarming can be a normal description of wear and tear.
Phrases you will see
- Unremarkable or no acute abnormality means nothing urgent was seen in that area.
- Degenerative change often means ordinary age-related wear, especially in the spine.
- Lesion only means “something that looks different”. It is not a diagnosis of cancer.
- Clinical correlation advised means the picture must be read next to your symptoms. The scan alone is not the diagnosis.
What to do with it
Read it with the doctor who ordered it, or with the clinic doctor if you had a private scan. Ask three questions: what was the scan looking for, what did it show, and what happens next. Do not start treatment, or stop treatment, from a PDF alone.
If a private clinic gives you the images and the report on the same day, your GP can still review them. Bring both.