Academic Catalog

R T 54C: RADIOGRAPHIC PATHOLOGY

Foothill College Course Outline of Record

Foothill College Course Outline of Record
Heading Value
Effective Term: Fall 2026
Units: 3
Hours: 3 lecture per week (36 total per quarter)
Prerequisite: R T 54B.
Advisory: Not open to students with credit in R T 51D.
Degree & Credit Status: Degree-Applicable Credit Course
Foothill GE: Non-GE
Transferable: CSU
Grade Type: Letter Grade Only
Repeatability: Not Repeatable

Student Learning Outcomes

  • Determine proper exposure factors, patient care and anatomical positioning based on manifestations of pathological conditions related to respiratory, osseous, fractures, urinary, gastrointestinal, hepatobiliary, central nervous, reproductive, hemopoietic and endocrine systems.
  • Evaluate radiographic images of pathology of the respiratory, skeletal, urinary, gastrointestinal, central nervous, hemopoietic and endocrine systems in order to recognize the clinical manifestations while in the clinical setting.

Description

Radiographic pathology of the respiratory, osseous, fractures, urinary, gastrointestinal, hepatobiliary, central nervous, hemopoietic, and endocrine systems, bone densitometry and associated pathologies. Intended for students in the Radiologic Technology Program; enrollment is limited to students accepted in the program.

Course Objectives

The student will be able to:

  1. Define basic terms related to pathology.
  2. Describe the basic manifestations of pathological conditions and their relevance to radiologic procedures.
  3. Describe the various systemic classifications of disease in terms of etiology, types, common sites, complications, and prognosis.
  4. Describe the radiographic appearance of selected diseases.
  5. Identify radiologic procedures and interventional techniques appropriate for diseases common to each body system.
  6. Describe the bone densitometry procedure, anatomy, terminology, and associated pathology.

Course Content

  1. Definitions/terminology
    1. Pathology
    2. Disease
      1. Acute
      2. Chronic
    3. Pathogenesis
    4. Etiology
    5. Trauma
    6. Syndrome
  2. Manifestations of pathology and relevance to radiographic procedures
    1. Causes of disease (process, examples)
      1. Pathological
      2. Traumatic
      3. Surgical
    2. Procedural considerations
      1. Technical considerations
      2. Patient considerations
  3. Disease classifications and examples associated with each
    1. Hereditary conditions
    2. Degenerative
    3. Metabolic
    4. Neoplastic
    5. Traumatic
  4. Radiologic appearance of pathology
    1. Skeletal and articular
    2. Muscular
    3. Gastrointestinal
    4. Hepatobiliary
    5. Respiratory
    6. Urinary
    7. Reproductive (female)
    8. Hematopoietic
    9. Endocrine
    10. Nervous
    11. Osseous
    12. Fractures
  5. Radiologic procedures
    1. Modality type
      1. CT
      2. MRI
      3. Radiography
      4. Densitometry
        1. Procedural steps
        2. Anatomy
          1. Hip
          2. Lumbar spine
        3. Terminology
        4. Pathology
          1. Osteoporosis
    2. Body system

Lab Content

Not applicable.

Special Facilities and/or Equipment

Multimedia classroom, visualizer, viewboxes, internet access.

Method(s) of Evaluation

Methods of Evaluation may include but are not limited to the following:

Pathology assignment/presentation
Weekly quizzes
Midterm
Comprehensive final exam
Discussion participation

Method(s) of Instruction

Methods of Instruction may include but are not limited to the following:

Lecture
Discussion
Cooperative learning exercises
Oral presentations

Representative Text(s) and Other Materials

Eisenberg, Ronald. Comprehensive Radiographic Pathology, 8th ed.. 2025.

Types and/or Examples of Required Reading, Writing, and Outside of Class Assignments

  1. Research and planning of group creative projects, oral presentation.
  2. Weekly reading assignments from text and outside sources, approximately 20-30 pages.

Discipline(s)

Radiological Technology