Style Guide

About

A general style guide for constructing radiology report in English.

Measure Size

  • ?-unit object: e.g., A 4.2-cm gallstone

  • object size ___ unit: e.g., Common bile duct size 4.4 mm

  • ___ unit in blah.: e.g., 0.3 cm in thickness.

  • Size = ___: e.g.

    • Isthmus: Thickness = 2.0 mm.

  • object, measuring ___ unit: e.g.

    • Left kidney: Normal size and parenchymal echogenicity, measuring about 11.6 x 5.0 x 4.2 cm.

Size Change

{measurement} = {size | amount | degree}

Full

  • [increase | decrease | No significant change] (in {measurement}) of 🤔

  • (sentense) {subject} [appears | is/are] unchanged.

Abbreviated

  • No changed of 🤔 at …

  • Unchanged 🤔 (don’t use article)

  • 🤔 size ___, unchanged.

Previous comparison

  • measuring 🤔 cm (from ? cm)

  • measuring 🤔 cm (previously ? cm)

Amount / Size

  • [a few | several | innumerable] + pleural countable n. (e.g., a few cysts)

  • [trace < small < moderate < large] amount of + uncountable n. (e.g., small amount of free fluid)

  • [tiny | small | large] lesion (e.g., small hyperdense lesion at)

Many locations

  • Multifocal ___ (scattered …) (e.g. multifocal patchy)

  • Multiple scattered foci

Uncertain

Uncertain measurement

  • about ...: measuring about 3 cm.

  • size up to ...: size up to 1 cm.

  • ranging from ? - ?: ranging from 0.4-1.0 cm.

  • ___ lesion of vary in size

Note: abbreviation of unit do not requires period (e.g., cm, mm, ml).

To some extend

  • rather (e.g. rather ill-defined hypodense lesion at ___)

New Lesion

  • A new ?-cm 🤔 at ⛰

  • Newly seen a 🤔 at ⛰

  • 🤔 are seen, measuring about ___

Illustrative conjuction

{finding} ??? {explaination}

Causal

  • causing

Illustrate

  • as evidenced by
  • seen as

Filling conjuction

  • Note is made of ___

  • ___ is agin [noted | depicted].

Old lesion

  • Pre-existing ___ (e.g., decreased size of the pre-existing acute intraparenchymal hemorrhage)

  • Previously seen ___

Seen on

  • A seen best in/on ___ view.

Not seen

  • without demonstrable cause of ___. (e.g., w/o demonstrable cause of obstruction)

  • without evidence of ___. (e.g., GS w/o without evidence of cholecystitis)

  • There is no evidence of A.

  • No demonstrated ___. (e.g., No demonstrated caliceal stone at both kidneys)

The rest is OK

  • Otherwise, unremarkable

  • The remainder of … is/are unremarkable.

  • 😇 is/are within normal limits.

Limited evaluation

Ultrasound study

Limited evaluation due to …

  • patient’s condition
  • high liver position
  • overlying bowel gas

DDx

(These findings are …)

Sure

  • likely A

  • [consistent | compatible] with A

  • [suggesting | suggestive] of A

  • [probably | most likely] representing A

  • in keeping with A

Maybe

  • [probably = possibly > could be] A, B, or C

  • suspected of A

IMP Tricks

IMPRESSION:

Won’t describe: _____ as mentioned above.

Suggestion

F/U

  • (+) Follow-up is advised.

Clinical

  • (+) Please correlate with clinical findings.

  • (+) Clinical correlation is required.

Investigate

  • (+) Further (evaluation by) … is recommended.

  • (+) Further dedicated contrasted CT/MRI is advised for characterization.

Describe Focal Lesions

  • Amount:

    • Solitary/single
    • Multiple (diffuse, segmental, lobar…)

  • Size:

    • Precise: A ?-cm cyst
    • Not precise: cyst, measuring about ? cm.
    • Range: ranging from ? - ?
    • Largest one: up to ? cm.

  • Shape:

    • round, oval, lobulated, irregular

  • Contour & Delimination:

    • Contour: smooth, irregular
    • Delimination from adjacent parenchyma: well | ill-defined

  • Location

  • Echogenicity | Density (+ enhancement)

Many Items Tricks

Multi-subj + Verb

  • The findings about A with (associated) B, C, and D, as well as E

as well as SYNONYMS

  • along with

(ref)

in this report was …

  • A, B, and C; D and E; and F.