What is craniocaudal meaning?

Craniocaudal is a descriptive term used in anatomy and medicine to indicate the direction of the body or a specific structure. It refers to a direction that goes from the head (cranial end) to the feet (caudal end) of the body or from the superior (upper) to the inferior (lower) part of a specific structure or organ.

In medical imaging, such as mammography, craniocaudal is used to describe the orientation of an image or view. A craniocaudal mammogram, for instance, is an X-ray image taken from the top of the breast to the bottom, which allows the radiologist to detect abnormalities in this orientation.

The craniocaudal direction is often used in other contexts as well, including embryology and animal behavior. Anatomical structures that are arranged in the craniocaudal direction can be referred to as being in a "rostral-caudal" or "cephalic-caudal" order.