Computerized Tomography (CT)

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Computed Tomography (CT) Scan

CT Scan of the Chest Detailed information on computed tomography of the chest, including the reasons and preparation for the procedure, how the procedure is performed, and after care.

Computerized Tomography (CT), or CT scan, creates detailed images of your body’s internal organs using X-rays with computer technology. The doughnut-shaped scanner uses radiation to create cross-sectional images, or “slices,” that help physicians detect tumors, heart disease or internal injuries or bleeding. A CT scan may require that you not eat or drink if you have to drink a contrast liquid—which helps healthcare providers see body structures more clearly—or have a contrast dye injected before the test. The exam usually lasts less than an hour, including any preparations, though the actual scan may only last a minute or two.

CT imaging is useful because it can image various types of tissue—lung, bone, soft tissue and blood vessels—with immense precision. Using specialized equipment and expertise to create and deduce CT scans of the body, radiologists can fluently diagnose abnormalities such as cancers, cardiovascular disease, infectious disease, trauma and musculoskeletal disorders. Because it makes available detailed, cross-sectional examination of all types of tissue, CT is one of the finest tools for investigating the chest and abdomen. It is one of the favored methods for detecting various cancers, including lung, liver and pancreatic cancer, because the image permits a doctor to verify the presence of a tumor and measure its size, precise location, and the extent of the tumor's involvement with other nearby tissue. CT examinations are often used to plan and properly administer radiation treatments for tumors, to guide biopsies and other minimally invasive procedures, and to plan surgeries.

CT can reveal even extremely diminutive bones, as well as immediate tissues such as muscle and blood vessels, making it invaluable in diagnosing and treating spinal problems and injuries to effected skeletal structures. In cases of extreme trauma, CT can quickly identify injuries to internal organs. CT can also play a significant role in the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of vascular diseases that can lead to stroke, kidney failure, or death.