Visualizing endometriosis. The construction of professional vision in radiology

Visualizing endometriosis. The construction of professional vision in radiology

Abstract

This article focuses on the professional vision of radiologists specialized in endometriosis. The diagnosis is conceptualized as a device for authenticating bodies. On the one hand, I address the issues related to the division of medical work; on the other hand, I examine those related to the learning of technical and sensory skills, seeking to show their interweaving and their implications in the making of endometriosis. The demonstration proceeds in two ways: the first part deals with the legitimization of the visual expertise of radiologists through a boundary work with gynecological surgery, that resulted in a shift of jurisdiction within the diagnostic process. The second part focuses on how radiologists learn to see endometriosis and to make sense of the images produced through the mobilization of a set of perceptual signs.

Keywords

• diagnostic
• aparatus
• endometriosis
• medical imaging
• jurisdiction
• perception
• hold
• radiology
• professional vision