Radiology Abbreviations A–Z

This page provides a complete A–Z glossary of radiology abbreviations used in diagnostic imaging, CT, MRI, fluoroscopy, radiation protection, digital imaging, and clinical practice. Each abbreviation is displayed in a mini‑card for fast review and studying.

Summary: A comprehensive radiology abbreviation library for students, technologists, and imaging professionals.

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

A

AAPM

American Association of Physics in Medicine

AAS

Acute Abdominal Series

ABC

Automatic Brightness Control

ABD

Abdomen

AC

Alternating Current

ACR

American College of Radiology

ADC

Analog-to-Digital Converter

AEC

Automatic Exposure Control

AGC

Automatic Gain Control

AHRA

American Healthcare Radiology Administrators

Al

Aluminum

ALARA

As Low As Reasonably Achievable

AMU

Atomic Mass Units

AP

Anteroposterior

APR

Anatomical Programmed Radiography

ARNA

American Radiological Nurses Association

ARR

Academy of Radiology Research

ARRS

American Roentgen Ray Society

ARRT

American Registry of Radiologic Technologists

a-Se

Amorphous Selenium

a-Si

Amorphous Silicon

ASRT

American Society of Radiologic Technologists

ATCM

Automatic Tube Current Modulation

AVM

Arteriovenous Malformation

Ax

Axial


B

Ba

Barium

BAS

Barium Swallow

Be

Beryllium

BE

Barium Enema

BIR

British Institute of Radiology

BS

British Standard

BW

Bandwidth

BMD

Bone Mineral Density

BF

Breast Force (Mammography Compression)

BUN

Blood Urea Nitrogen


C

C/kg

Coulomb per Kilogram

CAT

Computed Axial Tomography

CAU

Caudal

CCD

Charge Coupled Device

CD

Compact Disc

CDR

Recordable Compact Disc

CEU

Continuing Education Unit

CHD

Coronary Heart Disease

CINE

Cinematographic Imaging

CNR

Contrast-to-Noise Ratio

CPR

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

CR

Computed Radiography

CRA

Cranial

CRT

Cathode Ray Tube

CsI

Cesium Iodide

CT

Computed Tomography

CTDI

Computed Tomography Dose Index

Cu

Copper

CXR

Chest X-ray

CBCT

Cone Beam CT

CTA

CT Angiography

CSP

Central Slice Plane


D

DAP

Dose Area Product

DAS

Data Acquisition System

DC

Direct Current

DDR

Direct Digital Radiography

DECUB

Decubitus

DH

Department of Health

DICOM

Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine

DLP

Dose-Length Product

DQE

Detective Quantum Efficiency

DSA

Digital Subtraction Angiography

DTPA

Diethylenetriaminepentaacetic Acid

DVD

Digital Video Disc

DRL

Diagnostic Reference Level

DWI

Diffusion Weighted Imaging


E

Eb

Electron Binding Energy

EBCT

Electron Beam Computed Tomography

ECG

Electrocardiogram

EPI

Echo Planar Imaging

ESR

Electron Spin Resonance

ETL

Echo Train Length

eV

Electron Volt

EDR

Exposure Dose Rate

ESE

Entrance Skin Exposure


F

FA

Flip Angle

FATSAT

Fat Saturation

FDA

Food and Drug Administration

FDD

Focus-to-Detector Distance

FE

Field Echo

FFT

Fast Fourier Transform

FID

Free Induction Decay

FOV

Field of View

FPR

Fluoroscopy Programmed Radiography

FPS

Frames Per Second

FSE

Fast Spin Echo

FT

Fourier Transform

FWHM

Full Width at Half Maximum

Fx

Fracture


G

GCF

Grid Conversion Factor

Gd

Gadolinium

Gd2O2S

Gadolinium Oxysulfide

GE

General Electric / Gradient Echo

GI

Gastrointestinal

Gy

Gray (absorbed dose)

GFR

Glomerular Filtration Rate

GB

Gallbladder


H

H+

Hydrogen Density

HIS

Hospital Information System

HU

Hounsfield Unit

Hz

Hertz

HVL

Half-Value Layer

HEENT

Head, Eyes, Ears, Nose, Throat


I

ICRP

International Commission on Radiological Protection

II

Image Intensifier

IM

Intramuscular

IR

Interventional Radiology / Inversion Recovery

ISO

International Organization for Standardization

IV

Intravenous

IVP

Intravenous Pyelogram

IVU

Intravenous Urogram

IAC

Internal Auditory Canal


J

JRCERT

Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology

JVP

Jugular Venous Pressure


K

keV

Kilo-electron Volt

Kg

Kilogram

kVp

Kilovoltage Peak

KUB

Kidneys, Ureters, Bladder


L

LAO

Left Anterior Oblique

LCD

Liquid Crystal Display

LCR

Low Contrast Resolution

LI

Linear Interpolator

LIH

Last Image Hold

LPO

Left Posterior Oblique

LSF

Line Spread Function

LT

Left

LUT

Look-Up Table

L-spine

Lumbar Spine


M

MAMMO

Mammography

mA

Milliampere

mAs

Milliampere-Seconds

MDA

Medical Devices Agency

MDCT

Multi-Detector CT

MDD

Medical Device Directive

MinIP

Minimum Intensity Projection

MIP

Maximum Intensity Projection

Mo

Molybdenum

MOD

Magneto-Optical Disc

MRA

Magnetic Resonance Angiography

MRI

Magnetic Resonance Imaging

MRS

Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

MSAD

Multiple Scan Average Dose

MSCT

Multi-Slice CT

MTF

Modulation Transfer Function

Mz

Magnetization Vector


N

NCRP

National Council on Radiation Protection

NEMA

National Electrical Manufacturers Association

NEQ

Noise Equivalent Quanta

NEX

Number of Excitations

NRC

Nuclear Regulatory Commission

NRPB

National Radiological Protection Board

NaI

Sodium Iodide


O

OBL

Oblique

OD

Optical Density

O2

Oxygen

OR

Operating Room


P

PA

Posteroanterior

PACS

Picture Archiving and Communication System

Pb

Lead

PBL

Positive Beam Limitation

PMT

Photomultiplier Tube

POSL

Pulsed Optically Stimulated Luminescence

PPS

Pulses Per Second

PRE-SAT

Presaturation

PSF

Point Spread Function

PSP

Photostimulable Phosphor

PTCA

Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty

PET

Positron Emission Tomography


Q

QA

Quality Assurance

QC

Quality Control

QF

Quality Factor


R

R&F

Radiography and Fluoroscopy

RAD

Radiation Absorbed Dose

RAM

Random Access Memory

RAO

Right Anterior Oblique

REM

Radiation Equivalent Man

RFOV

Reconstruction Field of View

Rh

Rhodium

RIS

Radiology Information System

ROI

Region of Interest

RPO

Right Posterior Oblique

RSNA

Radiological Society of North America

RT

Registered Technologist


S

SAR

Specific Absorption Rate

SCP

Service Class Provider

SCAR

Society for Computer Applications in Radiology

SCR

Silicon Controlled Rectifier

SCU

Service Class User

SE

Spin Echo

SFOV

Scan Field of View

SID

Source-to-Image Distance

SNR

Signal-to-Noise Ratio

SONO

Sonography

SPR

Scan Projection Radiograph

SSD

Surface Shaded Display

Sv

Sievert

SPECT

Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography

STIR

Short Tau Inversion Recovery

SC

Subcutaneous

SPIR

Spectral Presaturation with Inversion Recovery


T

T

Tesla

TCDD

Threshold Contrast Detail Detectability

TDI

Time Delay Integration

TE

Echo Time

TFT

Thin Film Transistor

TI

Inversion Time

TLD

Thermoluminescent Dosimeter

TOF

Time of Flight

TOMO

Tomography

TR

Repetition Time

TSE

Turbo Spin Echo


U

UGI

Upper Gastrointestinal Series

US

Ultrasound

U/S

Ultrasonography

URQ

Upper Right Quadrant


V

VR

Volume Rendering

VPS

Virtual Patient Simulation

V/Q

Ventilation/Perfusion


W

W

Tungsten

WIP

Work In Progress

WL

Window Level

WW

Window Width


X

XR

X-ray

XRT

X-ray Therapy

XRF

X-ray Fluorescence


Y

Y90

Yttrium-90 (Radiotherapy Isotope)


Z

Z

Atomic Number

Zeff

Effective Atomic Number