A CT scan of the chest, showing the lungs and heart in cross-section

What Do Scans Look Like? Real Examples of Each Type of Scan

Real MRI, CT, X-ray, ultrasound, DEXA, mammogram and echocardiogram images, with a plain-English note on what each one is good at showing.

Written by the FindScan editorial team 4 min read

Written by the FindScan Editorial Team and reviewed by our Medical Advisor, Dr Mohamed Najjar
Reviewed

If you have a scan coming up, it can help to know what the pictures actually look like. Below are real examples of each type of scan listed on FindScan.

Most of these images show normal anatomy. They are here to show what each kind of scan looks like, not to help you read your own results. Only the radiologist or clinician reporting your scan can do that.

Jump to: MRI scan · CT scan · X-ray · Ultrasound scan · DEXA bone density scan · Mammogram · Echocardiogram

MRI scan

MRI uses a strong magnet and radio waves, not X-rays. It is best at soft tissue: the brain, spinal cord, joints, ligaments and muscles. The pictures are black, white and grey, and are taken as thin slices in different directions.

Brain MRI, side view: A normal brain seen from the side. MRI shows the brain's soft tissue in fine detail.
Brain MRI, side viewA normal brain seen from the side. MRI shows the brain's soft tissue in fine detail.Image: TheBrain (English Wikipedia user), CC BY-SA 3.0
Brain MRI, from above: A normal brain, as if looking down through the top of the head.
Brain MRI, from aboveA normal brain, as if looking down through the top of the head.Image: Sean Novak, CC BY-SA 4.0
Knee MRI: A side view of the knee. The arrows point to the two cruciate ligaments, shown here as normal. MRI shows ligaments and cartilage that X-rays cannot.
Knee MRIA side view of the knee. The arrows point to the two cruciate ligaments, shown here as normal. MRI shows ligaments and cartilage that X-rays cannot.Image: Lykissas MG, Mataliotakis GI, Paschos N, Panovrakos C, Beris AE and Papageorgiou CD, CC BY-SA 2.0

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CT scan

CT takes many X-rays from different angles, and a computer builds them into slices through the body. It is quick, and good for the chest, abdomen, head and bones. The same data can also be turned into 3D images.

Chest CT: A slice through the chest, shown in a lung setting so the airways and lung tissue are visible.
Chest CTA slice through the chest, shown in a lung setting so the airways and lung tissue are visible.Image: Ptrump16, CC BY-SA 4.0
Head CT: A normal head CT. CT is quick, which is why it is often used for head injuries.
Head CTA normal head CT. CT is quick, which is why it is often used for head injuries.Image: Mikael Häggström, M.D., CC0
3D CT of the lower spine: CT data turned into a 3D picture of the lower spine and pelvis.
3D CT of the lower spineCT data turned into a 3D picture of the lower spine and pelvis.Image: Goleisureintl, CC BY 4.0

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X-ray

A plain X-ray is a single picture. Dense tissue such as bone blocks more of the X-rays and shows up white, while air shows up black. X-rays are quick and are often the first test for bones and the chest.

Chest X-ray: A normal chest X-ray, showing the lungs, the outline of the heart and the ribs.
Chest X-rayA normal chest X-ray, showing the lungs, the outline of the heart and the ribs.Image: Mikael Häggström, M.D., CC0
Hand X-ray: A normal hand and wrist. X-rays show bone clearly and are the usual first test for a suspected fracture.
Hand X-rayA normal hand and wrist. X-rays show bone clearly and are the usual first test for a suspected fracture.Image: Mikael Häggström, M.D., CC0

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Ultrasound scan

Ultrasound uses sound waves, so there is no radiation. The picture is made live as the sonographer moves a probe over the skin, which is why ultrasound images are usually fan-shaped. Fluid shows up black.

Gallbladder ultrasound: A normal gallbladder and bile duct. The gallbladder holds fluid, so it shows up dark.
Gallbladder ultrasoundA normal gallbladder and bile duct. The gallbladder holds fluid, so it shows up dark.Image: Ptrump16, CC BY-SA 4.0
Pregnancy ultrasound: The familiar pregnancy scan, shown live on the scanner's screen: a baby in profile at about 20 weeks.
Pregnancy ultrasoundThe familiar pregnancy scan, shown live on the scanner's screen: a baby in profile at about 20 weeks.Image: Goleisureintl, CC BY 4.0

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DEXA bone density scan

A DEXA scan measures bone density using a very low dose of X-rays, usually at the hip and lower spine. The result is mainly a set of numbers and a chart rather than a detailed picture.

DEXA result: A DEXA result on the reporting screen: whole-body images next to the bone density chart.
DEXA resultA DEXA result on the reporting screen: whole-body images next to the bone density chart.Image: Nick Smith Photography, CC BY-SA 3.0

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Mammogram

A mammogram is a low-dose X-ray of the breast. Each breast is gently compressed and is usually imaged from two angles.

Mammogram: Both breasts, imaged from the side at an angle (the standard 'MLO' view).
MammogramBoth breasts, imaged from the side at an angle (the standard 'MLO' view).Image: Nevit Dilmen, CC BY-SA 3.0

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Echocardiogram

An echocardiogram is an ultrasound of the heart. It shows the chambers, walls and valves moving in real time, and a colour setting can show which way the blood is flowing.

Echocardiogram: An ultrasound of the heart on the scanner screen, showing the heart's chambers and valves.
EchocardiogramAn ultrasound of the heart on the scanner screen, showing the heart's chambers and valves.Image: Tech. Sgt. Rachel Maxwell, U.S. Air Force, Public domain

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Not sure which scan you need?

Your GP or the clinic can advise which scan suits your symptoms. On FindScan you can compare regulated clinics and prices for each type of scan, then send an enquiry to the clinic you choose.

Read our guides to each scan →

Image credits

All images are from Wikimedia Commons and are used under the licences shown. FindScan has cropped and resized them.