Letter F
FACET
Is a joint consisting of two pieces of bone towards the back of the spine. Often they become “hypertrophied” or thickened as part of the aging process and arthritis. Along with a thickened ligamentum flavum, they contribute to a narrowing or stenosis of the spinal canal.
FACETECTOMY
A surgical procedure that removes the facet bones.
FACETITIS
In infection of the facet joints.
FACETOTOMY
A surgical procedure that cuts or removes a small portion of the facet bones.
FACIAL CELLULITIS
An infection of the skin tissues of the face.
FAR LATERAL DISC HERNIATION
The disc is directed along the very side of the spine and may, but often not, compress or impinge on a nerve.
FAST SPIN ECHO
An MRI technique used to characterize tissue. It is also called “FSE”.
FAT NECROSIS
“Dying” fat tissue in the breast, usually caused by trauma. For example, fat necrosis can occur when a woman’s breast is crushed against the steering wheel in a car accident. In the early stages, fat necrosis can look like cancer but it is not a cancer. In the later stages, fat necrosis can lead to the formation of oil cysts and has a characteristic benign appearance on mammogram. This is an expected process after surgery or trauma to the breast.
FAT STRANDING
Also known as “Dirty” fat. Our abdominal organs and bowel are usually draped with fat. When something bad is happening to a part of an organ or bowel, the fat next to it gets “dirty”. That is how Radiologists know something bad is happening on CT scan.
FATTY HILUM
The hilum is the area of a lymph node where the blood vessels enter and leave the lymph node (blood vessel connection point). Normal lymph nodes contain fat in the hilum. Lymph nodes that contain cancer enlarge and often the fat in the hilum disappears.
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