Understand your radiology report, in plain English.
Paste your MRI, CT, or X-ray results and get a calm, clear breakdown of every finding — plus the right questions to ask your doctor.
Your report says
“Mild broad-based disc protrusion at L4–L5 without significant central canal stenosis. Findings are otherwise unremarkable.”
In plain English
One of the cushions between your lower-back vertebrae bulges out slightly. It is not pressing meaningfully on the spinal canal, and everything else looks normal. This is a very common, usually mild finding.
Ask your doctor
“Does this protrusion match my symptoms, and what non-surgical options should I try first?”
Physician-reviewed
Explanations are reviewed by our medical review team, led by a licensed physician.
Cited & sourced
Content references established clinical guidelines, not guesswork.
Private by design
No account required. Your report text is not stored after your session.
Clear boundaries
Educational only. We never diagnose and never analyze medical images.
How it works
From clinical shorthand to calm clarity
Radiology reports are written for physicians, not patients. We translate them so you understand what you are reading — without spiraling into a worst-case search result.
Step 01
Paste or upload your report
Copy the text from your patient portal, or upload the PDF. We only need the written report — never the images themselves.
Step 02
Get a plain-English breakdown
Every finding and medical term is explained calmly: what it is, how common it is, and what usually happens next.
Step 03
Walk in prepared
Leave with 3–5 specific questions to ask your doctor, so your follow-up appointment is focused and reassuring.
Start with your scan
Guides for every imaging type
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
MRI results explained — what your report means, term by term.
Computed Tomography
CT results explained — what your report means, term by term.
Radiography
X-ray results explained — what your report means, term by term.
Sonography
Ultrasound results explained — what your report means, term by term.
Positron Emission Tomography
PET results explained — what your report means, term by term.
The words that worry people
Look up the exact term on your report
Most people search the scary phrase, not the scan type. Here are calm, sourced explanations for the findings patients ask about most.
A lung nodule is a small, round spot in the lung. The large majority — especially small ones — are not cancer.
A disc protrusion means one of the cushions between your vertebrae bulges out a little. It is extremely common and often causes no symptoms at all.
“Unremarkable” is good news. In radiology it means nothing abnormal or concerning stood out — essentially “normal.”
A hypodense lesion is an area that looks darker than the surrounding tissue on a CT scan. In organs like the liver, most are benign — cysts or hemangiomas.
“Degenerative changes” usually means normal, age-related wear and tear — a bit like gray hair for your spine and joints.
These are small bright spots on a brain MRI. They are common with age and are frequently nonspecific rather than a sign of a specific disease.
A ground-glass opacity is a hazy area in the lung. It has many causes — often inflammation or infection — and is not a diagnosis by itself.
Atelectasis means a small area of lung is not fully inflated. Mild atelectasis is extremely common and usually harmless.
A pleural effusion is extra fluid in the thin space around a lung. Small effusions are common and have many causes, most of them treatable.
Spinal stenosis means the channel for the spinal cord or nerves has narrowed. Mild narrowing is very common with age and often causes no symptoms.
An incidental finding is something spotted by chance — unrelated to the reason for your scan. Most are benign and many need no follow-up at all.
“Correlate clinically” means the radiologist is asking your doctor to match the imaging with your symptoms and exam. It is routine wording, not a red flag.
Every explanation is medically reviewed
Health information deserves more care than a generic chatbot answer. Our content is checked by our medical review team before it ever reaches you.
- Reviewed by our medical review team, led by a licensed physician
- Grounded in established clinical guidelines and peer-reviewed sources
- Designed to reduce anxiety, not amplify it
- Explicit about uncertainty — and when to call your doctor
What we will never do
We do not diagnose, we do not analyze medical images, and we are not a substitute for your clinician. If something needs urgent attention, we say so — and point you to care.
Dr. Moe Byrne, MD, MSCR
Physician
Reviews explanations for clinical accuracy and makes sure each one is clear about what a finding means and when to seek care.
Sam Seymour, UC Berkeley Translational Medicine
Translational Medicine
Reviews content for clarity and readability, focused on how patients understand and act on their imaging results.
FAQ
Questions people ask first
Turn a worrying report into a clear next step
Your first summary is free. No account, no stored data — just calm, plain-English clarity before your appointment.
Educational only · Not a diagnosis · Not FDA-cleared