A radiology report is the official communication tool between the doctor who ordered a medical imaging exam and the radiologist who interprets the images. This document translates complex visual data from an X-ray, CT scan, or MRI into a written assessment. While the report contains many sections, the “Indication” often confuses patients trying to understand their results. This section is a starting point that dictates the subsequent analysis of the images.
What the Indication Section Means
The Indication section, sometimes labeled “Clinical Indication” or “Reason for Exam,” is a concise statement explaining the specific medical reason the imaging study was requested. This is the clinical question or symptom that necessitated the procedure. Examples include “rule out fracture,” “new onset abdominal pain,” or “unexplained persistent headache.”
This information is provided by the referring physician or healthcare provider who ordered the imaging test, not the radiologist who produces the final report. The goal is to transmit the relevant patient history and clinical concern to the radiologist to ensure the interpretation is focused. The referring provider communicates what they suspect or need to monitor, establishing the context for the diagnostic process.
How the Indication Guides the Radiologist
The indication acts as a compass for the interpreting radiologist, directing attention to the most relevant areas and potential pathologies within the images. Without this specific clinical context, the radiologist would interpret the images in a vacuum, leading to a less specific report. For instance, if the indication is “rule out appendicitis,” the radiologist focuses scrutiny on the appendix and surrounding structures, even if the entire abdomen is visible.
The indication facilitates “clinical correlation,” where imaging findings are interpreted based on the patient’s symptoms or medical history. This context helps the radiologist determine if an abnormality is significant or an incidental finding. A specific indication, such as “follow-up known liver lesion,” allows for a focused comparison with prior studies to assess for size changes. A vague indication, like “abdominal pain,” makes interpretation more challenging, requiring the radiologist to cover a broader range of potential causes.
Indication Versus Findings and Impression
To understand a radiology report, it is helpful to distinguish the Indication from the two other main sections: the Findings and the Impression. The Indication is the why—the reason the patient was sent for the scan. The Findings section, conversely, is the objective what was seen on the images.
The Findings section contains the detailed description of all observed structures, noting what is normal and detailing any abnormalities, such as the size of a mass or the location of fluid. This is a descriptive list of observations, not an interpretation. The Impression section is the final what it means—the radiologist’s professional conclusion and summary of the findings.
The Impression synthesizes the descriptive Findings in the context of the Indication to offer a likely diagnosis or a differential diagnosis (a list of possibilities). The radiologist is answering the clinical question posed in the Indication section. For the patient and referring physician, the Impression represents the most actionable information, serving as the final word on the significance of the imaging study.