Craniocaudal

Craniocaudal is a directional term used in anatomy to describe a course or location along an axis from the head (cranium) toward the tail (caudal). In humans and many vertebrates, it denotes a vertical, head-to-toe orientation and is used to describe relative positions of structures, lesions, or tissues. The term is commonly abbreviated CC in radiology reports and is sometimes written as cranio-caudal or craniofacial usage depending on context.

In radiology, craniocaudal refers to a projection or view where the X-ray beam travels from cranial to caudal. The craniocaudal projection is widely used in mammography; the CC view images the breast from top to bottom, typically with the patient in an upright position and the breast compressed between two plates. This view is usually paired with the mediolateral oblique (MLO) view to provide complementary coverage of breast tissue. The CC orientation helps standardize image labeling and facilitates comparison across examinations.

Beyond imaging, craniocaudal describes the orientation of structures along the head-to-tail axis in anatomical descriptions. It is used in veterinary medicine and comparative anatomy as well, though the precise orientation can vary with species and posture. The term serves as a neutral, descriptive reference for spatial relationships in anatomy, imaging, and pathology.