What is a radiology report?

A radiology report is the written interpretation a radiologist produces after reading an imaging study like an MRI, CT, X-ray, or ultrasound. It's the text report, not the images. It states the exam performed, your clinical history, the technique used, the detailed findings, and an impression summarizing what the findings mean.

What are the sections of a radiology report?

A standard report has the type of exam, the clinical history or reason for the study, a comparison to any prior imaging, the technique (including whether contrast was used), the findings the radiologist observed, and the impression that summarizes the key takeaways and next steps. The sections appear in roughly that order.

What is the "Impression" in a radiology report?

The Impression is the radiologist's summary of the study: the most important findings, what they may mean, and any recommended follow-up such as another scan or a biopsy. It's the part to read first, because it distills a long, technical Findings section into the conclusions that drive your care.

Why is my radiology report written for my doctor and not me?

The radiologist who reads your images is a consulting doctor who reports back to the physician who ordered the study. The Findings are written in clinical language for that physician, who then explains what the results mean for you. That's why the report can read as dense or alarming on its own — it's a doctor-to-doctor communication.

How long should I keep my imaging reports?

Keep radiology reports long-term if they document a significant diagnosis, injury, or baseline. At a minimum, keep each one as long as it's a useful prior for future imaging, since radiologists compare new studies against old ones to spot what has changed. A kept report is also your proof of a finding years later.

Medical

Radiology Report

A radiology report is the written interpretation a radiologist produces after reading an imaging study — an MRI, CT, X-ray, or ultrasound. It is the text report, not the images themselves. It describes the exam performed, what the radiologist observed (the "Findings"), and a summary of what those findings mean (the "Impression").

The "Impression" is the most important part of a radiology report — it summarizes the key findings and what they may mean for your care. The radiologist writes the report for your referring doctor, who then explains the results to you.

Source: RadiologyInfo.org (RSNA/ACR): How to Read Your Radiology Report

Written & maintained by the Granite team · Last updated June 2026

Overview

When you have an imaging study, a radiologist — a doctor who specializes in reading images — interprets it and writes a report addressed to the physician who ordered it. The report follows a standard structure: the type of exam, your clinical history, a comparison to any prior studies, the technique used, the detailed findings, and an impression.

The Impression is the section to read first. It distills the findings into the key takeaways and any recommended next steps, such as follow-up imaging or a biopsy. Because the report is written doctor-to-doctor, the Findings can be dense and technical; your ordering physician is the one who translates the Impression into what it means for you.

When you’ll get your Radiology Report

You had an MRI, CT scan, X-ray, or ultrasound
Your doctor ordered imaging to investigate a symptom or injury
You're getting a second opinion and need to share the report
You're comparing a new study against a prior one
You're keeping a record of a diagnosis or an ongoing condition

What’s on your Radiology Report

These are the fields Granite reads and extracts automatically the moment you upload one.

Exam / Modality: The type of imaging performed — MRI, CT, X-ray, or ultrasound.
Body Part: The anatomic region studied (e.g. "Lumbar spine").
Technique: How the study was done and whether contrast was used.
Findings: What the radiologist observed, area by area.
Impression: The radiologist's summary and possible diagnoses — the most important section.
Radiologist: The doctor who read the study and signed the report.

How long to keep it

Keep radiology reports indefinitely if they document a significant diagnosis, injury, or a baseline for an ongoing condition. At minimum, keep each report as long as it remains a useful comparison (a "prior") for future imaging, since radiologists rely on prior studies to see what has changed.

A radiology report is the comparison point for every future study of the same area, and a new scan is only as useful as the prior it's read against. Keeping your reports means a future radiologist can see what changed, and you have proof of a diagnosis, or its absence, if a question or claim arises years later.

How Granite handles your Radiology Report

Granite reads each radiology report (the modality, body part, radiologist, and the Impression summary) and files it with your medical records. Because it captures the Impression, you can find the bottom line of any past scan in seconds, and your imaging history for a body part is gathered in one place to hand to a specialist or use as the prior for your next study.

FAQ

Radiology Report: common questions

What is a radiology report?: A radiology report is the written interpretation a radiologist produces after reading an imaging study like an MRI, CT, X-ray, or ultrasound. It's the text report, not the images. It states the exam performed, your clinical history, the technique used, the detailed findings, and an impression summarizing what the findings mean.
What are the sections of a radiology report?: A standard report has the type of exam, the clinical history or reason for the study, a comparison to any prior imaging, the technique (including whether contrast was used), the findings the radiologist observed, and the impression that summarizes the key takeaways and next steps. The sections appear in roughly that order.
What is the "Impression" in a radiology report?: The Impression is the radiologist's summary of the study: the most important findings, what they may mean, and any recommended follow-up such as another scan or a biopsy. It's the part to read first, because it distills a long, technical Findings section into the conclusions that drive your care.
Why is my radiology report written for my doctor and not me?: The radiologist who reads your images is a consulting doctor who reports back to the physician who ordered the study. The Findings are written in clinical language for that physician, who then explains what the results mean for you. That's why the report can read as dense or alarming on its own — it's a doctor-to-doctor communication.
How long should I keep my imaging reports?: Keep radiology reports long-term if they document a significant diagnosis, injury, or baseline. At a minimum, keep each one as long as it's a useful prior for future imaging, since radiologists compare new studies against old ones to spot what has changed. A kept report is also your proof of a finding years later.

Sources

This page is checked against primary and authoritative sources:

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