The question comes first
A scan answers a clinical question. We ask what your doctor needs to know before we start, so the study is targeted rather than generic — and so nothing important gets scanned around.
Radiology & Diagnostic Imaging in Dubai
Ultrasound & Diagnostic Imaging in Dubai
Radiology at Chughtai Clinic Dubai is built around high-resolution diagnostic and Doppler ultrasound — performed on site at Building 47, Dubai Healthcare City, and reported by our radiologist.
Ultrasound uses sound waves rather than ionising radiation, so there is no dose to think about and nothing to recover from. That is why it is the first-line scan for the abdomen, pelvis, pregnancy, thyroid, breast, blood vessels, and soft-tissue and joint injuries.
Department Snapshot
Department
Radiology & Diagnostic Imaging
Core service
Diagnostic & Doppler ultrasound
Reported by
Our radiologist, in house
Radiation
None — ultrasound is radiation-free
About our Radiology & Imaging service
Radiology is the part of medicine that looks inside the body without an incision. Our imaging service is built around diagnostic and Doppler ultrasound — a live, radiation-free examination that shows organs, blood flow and soft tissue as they actually behave, rather than as a single still picture.
Ultrasound (sonography) works by sending high-frequency sound waves into the body and listening to the echoes that come back. Because no ionising radiation is involved, a scan can be repeated as often as your care needs it — and it is safe in pregnancy, which is why it is the standard way to follow a baby’s growth.
Our scan list covers the abdomen and pelvis, obstetric and early-pregnancy scans, thyroid, breast and other small parts, vascular Doppler studies, and musculoskeletal imaging of joints, tendons and soft tissue. We also perform ultrasound-guided procedures, where live imaging is used to place a needle precisely — for a biopsy, a fluid drainage, or a targeted joint injection.
Your scan is reported by our radiologist and shared with the doctor who referred you, so the result turns into a plan rather than a PDF. Where the findings are better answered by MRI, CT or mammography, we arrange the referral and read those results alongside your ultrasound.
What we scan
Abdomen & upper abdomen
Kidneys, ureters & bladder (KUB)
Pelvis & women’s imaging
Pregnancy & obstetric scans
3D / 4D baby scans
Thyroid, neck & salivary glands
Breast ultrasound
Vascular Doppler studies
Musculoskeletal (MSK) scans
Ultrasound-guided procedures
Our Approach
A Scan Is Only as Good as the Report Behind It
Imaging is not a photograph — it is an opinion, formed live, by the person holding the probe. That is where the value sits.
Explained in plain language
You should not need a medical dictionary to understand your own result. Findings are written for the referring doctor and explained to you in words that mean something.
Same roof, same team
Your gynaecologist, surgeon, physician or physiotherapist is a corridor away. Imaging feeds straight back into their plan instead of sitting in an inbox somewhere else.
Why Patients Choose Us
Imaging You Can Act On
Six things that make a diagnostic scan useful rather than merely done.
Live, dynamic imaging
Ultrasound shows movement — a tendon gliding, a valve leaking, a baby turning. Still images cannot capture what a real-time scan can.
Radiation-free
No ionising radiation, no contrast injection for most studies, and no recovery time. Safe to repeat, and safe throughout pregnancy.
Image-guided precision
Biopsies, aspirations and joint injections placed under live ultrasound, so the needle goes exactly where it is meant to — and nowhere else.
Full obstetric pathway
From the first dating scan through NT, anomaly, growth and Doppler studies — the same imaging team follows your pregnancy from start to finish.
Musculoskeletal expertise
Shoulder, knee, ankle and wrist scanned while you move the joint, which often localises a problem that a static image would miss.
A clear next step
If your scan points towards MRI, CT or mammography, we say so and arrange it — rather than leaving you to work out what the report meant.
Scan Types
Six Families of Ultrasound, One Department
Every study below is performed on site and reported by our radiologist. Not sure which one you need? Book a consultation and we will work it out with you.
Abdominal & Pelvic
Liver, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen, kidneys, bladder, uterus, ovaries and prostate — plus abdominal aorta screening.
Obstetric & Pregnancy
Dating, nuchal translucency, anomaly, growth and wellbeing scans, obstetric Doppler and 3D/4D imaging.
Superficial & Small Parts
Thyroid, breast, scrotal, neck, salivary gland, and skin and soft-tissue lesions at high resolution.
Vascular Doppler
Venous, carotid, peripheral arterial and renal artery studies — measuring blood flow, velocity and blockage.
Musculoskeletal (MSK)
Shoulder, knee, ankle, wrist and hand, including dynamic assessment while the joint is in motion.
Ultrasound-Guided Procedures
FNAC, core biopsy, therapeutic aspiration and drainage, and targeted joint injections under live guidance.
Explore Our Imaging
A Closer Look at Each Scan
Tap any card for the individual studies it covers and how to prepare for them.
Abdominal & Pelvic Ultrasound
- Upper abdomen scan — liver, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen and bile ducts. Used to look for fatty liver, gallstones, cysts and duct obstruction.
- Renal & urinary tract (KUB) — kidneys, ureters and bladder. Detects kidney stones, hydronephrosis and incomplete bladder emptying.
- Pelvic ultrasound — uterus and ovaries, or the prostate gland, along with the rest of the lower abdomen.
- Abdominal aorta Doppler — screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm and other vascular abnormalities.
- How to prepare — upper abdominal scans usually need 6–8 hours of fasting; pelvic and renal scans need a comfortably full bladder.
Obstetric & Pregnancy Scans
- Early pregnancy / dating scan (6–10 weeks) — confirms an intrauterine pregnancy, checks the heartbeat and establishes gestational age.
- Nuchal translucency (NT) scan (11–14 weeks) — first-trimester screening for chromosomal conditions including Down syndrome.
- Anomaly / level 2 scan (18–22 weeks) — a full anatomical review of the baby’s organs, spine, brain and limbs.
- Growth & wellbeing scan (third trimester) — tracks growth, amniotic fluid volume and placental health.
- Obstetric Doppler — measures blood flow in the umbilical cord and fetal brain arteries to confirm the baby is being properly nourished.
- 3D / 4D imaging — surface rendering and real-time movement views, offered alongside the clinical scan.
Superficial & Small Parts
- Thyroid ultrasound — nodules, goitre and thyroiditis, with measurement and characterisation of any lesion found.
- Breast ultrasound — distinguishes fluid-filled cysts from solid lesions, and is particularly useful in dense breast tissue.
- Scrotal & testicular ultrasound — varicocele, hydrocele, suspected torsion and palpable masses.
- Neck & salivary glands — lymph nodes, salivary gland stones and neck lumps.
- Skin & soft tissue — lipomas, abscesses, fluid collections and retained foreign bodies.
- How to prepare — no fasting and no preparation needed for any of these scans.
Vascular Doppler Studies
- Venous Doppler (legs or arms) — deep vein thrombosis (DVT), varicose veins and venous insufficiency.
- Carotid artery Doppler — measures plaque in the neck arteries that supply the brain, and with it your stroke risk.
- Peripheral arterial Doppler — peripheral artery disease (PAD) and arterial narrowing in the limbs.
- Renal artery Doppler — renal artery stenosis and hypertension of renal origin.
- Doppler results feed directly into our Vascular Surgery and Neurology teams when treatment is needed.
Musculoskeletal (MSK) Ultrasound
- Shoulder — rotator cuff tears, tendinitis, impingement and bursitis.
- Knee & ankle — Achilles tendon, plantar fascia, joint effusions and superficial meniscal assessment.
- Wrist & hand — carpal tunnel syndrome, ganglion cysts and tendon tears.
- Dynamic joint assessment — the joint is scanned while you move it, which often pinpoints a mechanical problem a static image cannot show.
- Works hand in hand with our Sports Medicine and Physiotherapy teams.
Ultrasound-Guided Procedures
- Fine needle aspiration (FNAC) — cell sampling from a thyroid, breast or lymph node lesion.
- Core biopsy — tissue sampling for a definitive pathological diagnosis.
- Therapeutic aspiration & drainage — removal of cyst fluid, effusions or abscess collections.
- Guided joint injections — corticosteroid or PRP placed precisely into the joint space or tendon sheath.
- Before you come in — these are minimally invasive procedures. You will be asked for consent, and some require a blood test beforehand; our team will tell you which when you book.
Your Visit
How Your Scan Works
Four steps, from booking to a result your doctor can act on.
Book & prepare
Step 01
- Tell us which scan you need
- We confirm any fasting
- Or a full bladder, if required
- Bring your doctor’s request
On the day
Step 02
- Arrive 10 minutes early
- Wear loose clothing
- Private, curtained room
- Female staff on request
The scan
Step 03
- Warm gel on the skin
- Painless and radiation-free
- Usually 15–45 minutes
- You may be asked to move
Your report
Step 04
- Reported by our radiologist
- Sent to your referring doctor
- Explained in plain language
- Onward referral if needed
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
1 Is an ultrasound scan safe? Does it use radiation?
Ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves, not ionising radiation. There is no dose, no injection for most studies and no recovery period, which is why it can be repeated as often as your care requires and is used routinely throughout pregnancy.
2 How do I prepare for an abdominal ultrasound?
Upper abdominal scans normally require 6 to 8 hours of fasting so that the gallbladder is full and bowel gas is reduced. You may drink plain water. Our team will confirm the exact instructions for your scan when you book.
3 Do I need a full bladder for my scan?
Pelvic and renal or urinary tract (KUB) scans are done with a comfortably full bladder, because the fluid gives the sound waves a clear window through to the organs behind it. Drink water beforehand and avoid emptying your bladder until after the scan.
4 How long does an ultrasound take?
Most scans take 15 to 30 minutes. Obstetric scans can run to 45 minutes depending on the trimester and the baby's position, and ultrasound-guided procedures typically take 30 to 60 minutes including preparation and consent.
5 Which pregnancy scan do I need, and when?
A dating scan is done at 6 to 10 weeks, the nuchal translucency scan at 11 to 14 weeks, the detailed anomaly scan at 18 to 22 weeks, and growth and wellbeing scans in the third trimester. Your obstetrician will advise on timing for your pregnancy, and we will schedule around it.
6 What is a Doppler scan and how is it different?
Doppler is an ultrasound setting that measures movement rather than structure, so it shows the speed and direction of blood flow. It is how we assess clots in the leg veins, plaque in the carotid arteries, narrowed limb arteries, and blood flow through the umbilical cord in pregnancy.
7 Is MSK ultrasound as good as an MRI?
They answer different questions. Ultrasound is better for tendons, superficial soft tissue and anything that needs to be assessed while the joint moves, and it allows a guided injection in the same visit. MRI sees deeper and inside bone. If your scan suggests MRI would add something, we will say so and arrange the referral.
8 Do I need a referral to book a scan?
If your doctor has asked for a specific scan, bring the request with you so we perform exactly the study they need. If you are not sure which scan is right, book a consultation first and our clinicians will advise before anything is scheduled.
9 When will I get my results?
Your scan is reported by our radiologist and sent to the doctor who referred you. Reporting times vary with the type of study and whether a second opinion or comparison with earlier imaging is needed, so our team will confirm the turnaround when you book.
Book a diagnostic scan in Dubai Healthcare City
Abdominal, pelvic, pregnancy, thyroid, breast, Doppler and musculoskeletal ultrasound — scanned on site and reported by our radiologist. Book an appointment or send a quick enquiry and we will be in touch within 24 hours.
Send Us an Enquiry
Tell us which scan you need — or describe the problem and we will advise.