Difference between pathology and radiology

The Difference between Radiology and Pathology

The branches of medical science are developing and evolving every day. Scientists and researchers are looking for new diagnostic technologies and treatments with advancements in medical science techniques. These techniques improve the quality of treatment patients receive and help in the early diagnosis of the diseases.

Difference between Radiology and Pathology

Pathology and Radiology are two such fields of medical science that ease the medical procedures by taking two different approaches. You all must have taken blood, and the rapid detection test for COVID-19 is something we all are familiar with, and it is a pathological test. An X-ray is the most commonly used diagnostic procedure and is a radiological procedure. Both radiology and pathology help diagnose symptoms and make the right treatment decisions, but the approach is different. 

pathology lab software
pathology lab software

Radiology

Radiology is a field of medical science that uses ionizing radiation to produce images of body parts. Its approach uses radiant energy to diagnose a body party for possible reasons behind a symptom, cause of disease, internal response, cellular activity, bone and joint functioning, and tissue inflammation. A specialized physician trained in operating ionizing radiations and interpreting the images produced is called a radiologist. 

While carrying out the scan, the body is subjected to the radiation, and then this radiation is received via the photosensitive surface. Advanced computer programs then read this light activity and produce an image based on the absorption and scattering of light. There are two subfields in radiology; diagnostic radiology and interventional radiology. 

1. Diagnostic Radiology:

It is the most used field. Doctors and physicians use the images to study tissues, bones, and joints. Internal injuries are also identified through radiology. Radiologists generate two-dimensional and three-dimensional pictures as required and prescribed by the doctor. Examples include CT scan, MRI, X-ray, nuclear medicine, PET (positron emission tomography), and ultrasound. 

2. Interventional Radiology:

Radiographic images guide medical procedures like inserting implants, catheters, valves, wires, and other health aid tools inside the body. It is helpful as it reduces the incision required for insertion, and patients get saved from undergoing complex surgical procedures. Examples include angiography, vertebroplasty, breast biopsy, and needle biopsy. 

Pathology

This field of medical science helps diagnose diseases and make treatment decisions via physical examination of tissue samples, cell samples, surgical samples, and bodily fluids. This field contains a wide variety of tests. From the most common blood test to the most complex autopsy, all the manual examination of samples comes under pathology. A pathologist can therefore specialize in any of these complex procedures. There are three subfields in pathology; cytopathology, molecular pathology, and surgical pathology. 

1. Surgical pathology:

It is the most widely used in diagnosing and treating cancer cells. A biopsy sample is taken from the suspected organ or tissue. Specialized pathologists then examine these issues with the naked eye or under a microscope for abnormal tumor formation in pathology labs. Autopsy also includes similar kinds of procedures. Doctors examine the tissues and organs for possible reasons and the nature of death. 

2. Cytopathology

In cytopathology, cells are examined for inflammation and abnormal cell growth. This procedure, therefore, helps in the detection of the origin of the disease.

3. Molecular pathology 

It is a newly developed field. Researchers are trying to predict future diseases and causes of specific symptoms using molecular pathology. Pathologists study the molecular constituents of cells and tissue samples that can indicate any possible sign of mutations. The mutation is a significant causal agent of cancer, so many lives could be saved if these could have been predicted earlier.

The Key Takeaway

Both pathology and radiology are developed for welfare and ease of medical science, and the way these technologies assist is different. Doctors have their stand while choosing one technique over the other in various treatments, but both have become an integral part of diagnosis and treatment.