Article sections

Articles are assigned to a particular section if the main theme of the article pertains to that section. For example, the main theme of the article on the prostate gland itself is its anatomy and thus it is appropriately assigned to the "section" anatomy. However, whilst the article on prostate carcinoma may also describe some of the anatomy of the prostate, it will describe this in considerably less detail than the prostate gland article, with its main focus being carcinoma of the prostate, and thus the section “anatomy” would not be appropriate in that setting.

Similarly most articles about specific conditions, (e.g. breast cancer) will include a section about their pathology; however, this does not mean that they should be in the section “pathology”. That section is reserved for articles that specifically pertain to topics related to pathology (e.g. desmoplasia).

Most articles about particular diagnoses or conditions will not be assigned to a section. Less commonly, an article will be assigned to more than one section.

NB: for information on the standard sections that make up an article see here.

Specific sections

Guidance as to which types of articles should go in each of the sections follows.

Anatomy

Articles in this section are primarily about the anatomy of organs, vessels, nerves, etc. (e.g. pancreas) or variant anatomy (e.g. pancreatic duct variants). 

Approach

Articles in this section are about the practical approach to dealing with a topic in diagnostic and interventional radiology. This includes guidelines for appropriate imaging (e.g. Canadian C-spine rules), how to read a specific imaging study, radiological errors, using reporting systems (PI-RADS, etc.) and using measurements to assess abnormalities.

Artificial intelligence

Articles in this section are about anything to do with the field of AI as it relates to imaging science and its practical application to the clinical practice of radiology.

Classification

Articles in this section exclusively pertain to specific systems for classifying, staging, scoring or grouping a condition or treatment. They are not larger articles that merely contain a classification system, and in fact in most instances classification systems should be broken out of larger articles into stand alone articles. 

Gamuts

Articles in this section deal with gamuts which are the differential diagnoses for a particular radiological sign/finding. Gamuts do not usually include the differential diagnoses of pathology per se. For example, the article about the causes of sclerotic bone lesions is a gamut. However, the article about multiple sclerosis that contains a list of the differentials of multiple sclerosis does not warrant inclusion in the gamuts section.

Imaging technology

Articles in this section cover a broad range of topics pertaining to the basic physics and applied science of how the various imaging modalities work. This section also includes imaging artifacts and contrast media. It does not, however, include articles that pertain to radiographic technique; these have their own “radiography” section (see below).

Interventional radiology

Articles in this section include anything about interventional radiology, this will primarily be specific procedures. It is not for articles about diseases that describe interventional procedures as part of the management of the condition.

Mnemonics

We encourage people to create articles on mnemonics as long as they are practical for everyday clinical use, memorable and contain (as a minimum) the common features, causes, etc. of the entity in question.

Pathology

Articles in this section include anything that you might expect to find in a pathology report, including histology, microbiology, chemical pathology, blood films, etc. In English, the term “pathology” also has the meaning of a specific disease, but articles about specific conditions should not be put in this section.

Radiography

Articles in this section include anything related to diagnostic and therapeutic investigations/interventions - of any modality - conducted in a typical radiology department. It is not for articles that describe pathology or signs on radiographs.

Signs

This section is primarily for articles about radiological signs. Radiopaedia is now also home to an increasing number of articles about traditional clinical signs which we welcome and may also be added to this section. It is important to emphasize that if signs are included on Radiopaedia that they are bona fide signs with citable references and often studies assessing their usefulness. 

Staging

This section is limited to articles on the staging of malignant disease. This may be TNM staging or an alternative system.

Syndromes

This section is for any article about a condition that is regarded to be a syndrome ^1,2. A syndrome refers to a characteristic collection of symptoms and signs which point towards a definite condition for which the etiology and/or pathogenesis remains to be properly defined. When the cause of a syndrome is understood, it becomes a disease ^1,2. This meaning is not always adhered to, and some syndromes would perhaps be better called something else, but for historical reasons the word 'syndrome' has become indelibly part of their name, for example AIDS or Down syndrome.

Unfortunately the label syndrome is sometimes used and abused as a label for a hodgepodge of symptoms and signs that are tenuously linked, this happens more often in psychiatry than other specialities.