EDiR study guide
EDiR · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The European Diploma in Radiology (EDiR) is a certification offered by the European Board of Radiology (EBR), an initiative operating under the European Society of Radiology (ESR) and working in collaboration with the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS). It is aimed at radiology trainees approaching the end of training and at practising radiologists who want an independent, internationally recognisable confirmation that their knowledge and image-interpretation skills meet a European standard. The EDiR study guide has 10 sections and about 2,971 words.
01Chest and Cardiovascular Radiology
Read every chest radiograph in the same order: technical adequacy (rotation, inspiration, penetration), then lines, tubes and devices, then lungs, pleura, mediastinum, hila, bones and soft tissues. Most missed findings sit at the apices, behind the heart, below the diaphragm and in the soft tissues.
343 words, about 2 min02Abdominal and Gastrointestinal Radiology
Measure calibre: small bowel over 3 cm, colon over 6 cm, caecum over 9 cm. Valvulae conniventes cross the whole lumen; haustra are incomplete.
328 words, about 2 min03Genitourinary Radiology
Non-contrast CT is the reference standard for urinary calculi. Size predicts outcome: stones under 5 mm usually pass spontaneously, those over 10 mm rarely do.
296 words, about 1 min04Musculoskeletal Radiology
State the bone, the site (epiphysis, physis, metaphysis, diaphysis), the pattern (transverse, oblique, spiral, comminuted), displacement, angulation, articular extension and whether the injury is open. A single fracture should prompt a search for a second injury, particularly in the spine, ribs and pelvis.
302 words, about 2 min05Neuroradiology and Head and Neck Radiology
Non-contrast CT excludes haemorrhage and allows ASPECTS scoring; early signs are loss of the insular ribbon, a hyperdense vessel and sulcal effacement. Diffusion-weighted imaging is positive within minutes and the ADC map confirms restricted diffusion.
288 words, about 1 min06Breast Imaging
Use BI-RADS descriptors exactly: for masses record shape, margin and density; for calcifications record morphology (coarse, amorphous, coarse heterogeneous, fine pleomorphic, fine linear branching) and distribution (diffuse, regional, grouped, linear, segmental). Fine pleomorphic and fine linear branching calcifications in linear or segmental distribution suggest ductal carcinoma in situ.
288 words, about 1 min07Paediatric Radiology
Hyaline membrane disease: low lung volumes, diffuse ground glass, air bronchograms in a preterm infant. Transient tachypnoea of the newborn: normal to increased volumes, perihilar streaking and fluid in fissures, resolving within days.
303 words, about 2 min08Vascular and Interventional Radiology
Most procedures begin with the Seldinger technique: needle puncture, guidewire placement, then catheter exchange under fluoroscopic or ultrasound guidance. Distinguish diagnostic angiography from embolisation, and know coaxial catheter systems and microcatheters.
274 words, about 1 min09Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
FDG uptake reflects glucose metabolism and is not tumour-specific. Quantify with SUVmax but interpret against physiological uptake and inflammation.
254 words, about 1 min10Physics, Techniques and Safety in Radiology
Electrons accelerated across a tube potential (kVp) strike a tungsten target, producing bremsstrahlung and characteristic radiation. Raising kVp increases beam energy and penetration, reduces photoelectric absorption and subject contrast, and increases scatter.
295 words, about 1 min