Diagnostic Imaging Services

West Boca Medical Center offers a variety of diagnostic services from advanced MRI and CT technologies to nuclear medicine, ultrasound and x-rays.  Our facility is fully equipped, which means you don’t have to travel far and wide to get the tests you need. We strive to meet our patient’s needs by combining some of the most advanced technology with imaging expertise in a friendly and compassionate setting.

Imaging Procedures and Technology:

• MRI
• 128-Slice and 64-Slice CT Scan
• Ultrasound  
• Echocardiography
• Transesophageal Echocardiogram
• Nuclear Medicine
• Fluoroscopy
• Urography   
• X-Ray

CT Scan

A CT Scan - also called Computerized Tomography or just CT - is an X-ray technique that produces images of the body to visualize internal structures in cross sections, rather than the overlapping images typically produced by conventional X-ray exams. At WBMC we offer a 128-Slice and a 64-Slice CT Scanner.

Contrast agents may be used intravenously or by mouth to see blood vessels, intestines, organs, and lymph nodes more clearly during a CT.

MRI

MRI uses a large magnetic field, radio frequency and a computer to provide highly accurate images of the body. The areas of the body usually examined are the head, spine, all joints, muscles, tendons and ligaments. MRI is superior to other imaging techniques when examining soft tissue areas in the body.

MRI can provide valuable information on many conditions. In some cases, a specialized MRI can be a helpful tool in diagnosing disease. This is especially important when other methods of imaging are unable to provide the information your physician needs to make a diagnosis or develop a treatment plan. Specialized MRI scans offered at West Boca include a Breast MRI, MRI Guided Biopsies and Anesthesia assisted Pediatric MRIs.

Nuclear Medicine

Nuclear medicine is a specialized area of radiology that uses very small amounts of radioactive materials, or radiopharmaceuticals, to examine organ function and structure. Nuclear medicine imaging is a combination of many different disciplines. These include chemistry, physics, mathematics, computer technology, and medicine. This branch of radiology is often used to help diagnose and treat abnormalities very early in the progression of a disease.

Stress Test

A stress test, also called an exercise stress test, gathers information about how your heart works during physical activity. Because exercise makes your heart pump harder and faster than usual, an exercise stress test can reveal problems within your heart that might not be noticeable otherwise.

An exercise stress test usually involves walking on a treadmill or riding a stationary bike while your heart rhythm, blood pressure and breathing are monitored.

Your doctor may recommend an exercise stress test if he or she suspects you have coronary artery disease or an irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia). The test may also be used to guide your treatment if you've already been diagnosed with a heart condition.

Ultrasound

Ultrasound is a medical procedure that uses sound waves to image different areas of the body. The most common exams are of the abdomen, pelvis, blood vessels and of the fetus during pregnancy. Ultrasound is very safe and non-invasive, which makes it a very useful diagnostic tool.

Urography

Urography is an examination used to evaluate the kidneys, ureters and bladder. Excretory urography, also known as intravenous pyelogram, is performed using conventional x-ray after the intravenous administration of radiographic contrast material. This technique is still performed for pediatric patients and occasionally for younger adult patients.

Computed tomography (CT) urography and magnetic resonance (MR) urography use CT and MR images, respectively, after intravenous contrast material to obtain images of the urinary tract. CT urography (CTU) and MR urography (MRU) are used as primary imaging techniques to evaluate patients with blood in the urine (hematuria), follow patients with prior history of cancers of the urinary collecting system and to identify abnormalities in patients with recurrent urinary tract infections. In addition to imaging the urinary tract, CT and MR urography can provide valuable information about other abdominal and pelvic structures and diseases that may affect them.

X-Ray

An X-ray (radiograph) uses low-dose radiation to produce quick, painless, and relatively inexpensive images of the internal structures of the body. Some X-ray procedures require ingesting or injecting a radiopaque substance that helps to visualize internal organs. These X-ray images are produced with West Boca Medical Center stationary and/or portable digital imaging equipment.

X-rays are safe and are one of the most useful tools a physician has in determining a diagnosis and/or treatment. Ordering physicians are able to view X-ray images on any computer in the hospital or in their offices via a restricted internet portal. If requested, images can also be burned onto CD’s.

A physician referral is required. To schedule an appointment, please call 561-417-7920.