Imaging and Imagination

Almost seventy five percent of cases referred to imaging department are either without any history or without a provisional diagnosis. So its the onus of the radiologist to diagnose just by looking at the images provided. They say “What the mind can’t think of, the eyes can’t see”. God help us, for we know not what we have to look for, unless of course, its really staring at us.
So keeping this in mind, routinely I question the patients what exactly their problem / symptoms are and imagine what to look for. Again, I remember, our professor used to reprimand us that we are into “Imaging” not “Imagination” when someone came up with an absurd diagnosis. So I am at crossroads. The other day, when I started asking few questions while scanning an elderly woman, she retorted saying ‘You are the doctor, so you should tell me’. I simply smiled at her for I suddenly remembered this story. Once a man walks into a busy doctor’s clinic and lies down on the examination table. So the doctor asks him what is the problem and similar to my case, this man tells the doctor ‘You are the doctor, you tell me’. Then the doctor replies ‘Sorry, then you have to visit the doctor down the road’. So the man gets up and goes in search of the other doctor and finally finds the clinic and the board read: ‘Veterinary Clinic’!!!!
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