What am I looking at?
Visual recognition
Tiny gold cylinders or coils preloaded in a needle, deployed through a coaxial introducer.
15-06
Fiducial marker
Radiopaque targeting markers
Three-panel learning framework
Recognition, context, and distinction
What does it do, and where will I see it?
Use & procedural context
Small radiopaque seeds implanted in or near a tumor under image guidance to provide targets for stereotactic radiotherapy tracking or surgical localization. Typical procedural contexts include SBRT planning for lung, liver, pancreatic, and prostate tumors.
What most clearly distinguishes it from similar devices?
Key distinctions
Fiducials are implanted radiopaque reference markers rather than biopsy or ablation devices; their purpose is to provide a stable localization target for subsequent image-guided therapy or surgery.