Radiological Lexicon: Use of Disease Severity Modifiers

The task of a radiologist can be described as the translation of imaging appearances into the written word. However, the optimally functioning radiologist does not simply list descriptive features in an arbitrary fashion. Instead, they integrate their clinical acumen with the patient's medical history and the available imaging, to generate a tailored, clinically relevant report. One of the particular skills of an experienced radiologist is their ability to grade the relative severity of an imaging finding, which is an important factor that influences a clinician's treatment. To make such a determination, the radiologist often employs a subjective assessment, incorporating various imaging and nonimaging features. This skill takes time and experience to develop, and the acquisition of this ability can be daunting to a radiology resident. This article discusses the underlying thought processes and the lexicon involved in grading severity of disease, and aims to shed some light on this seemingly abstract skill.