Computed Tomography (CT) Scan
For an accurate diagnosis, CT scan is as clear as it gets
Computed tomography (CT) captures detailed images of the inside of your body, helping your doctor make a more accurate diagnosis of your condition. A CT scan uses X-rays (radiant energy) to penetrate the body and produce clear pictures of your bones, muscles, tissue, organs, blood vessels and the brain that a regular X-ray cannot show.
Overview
Computed tomography (CT) captures detailed images of the inside of your body, helping your doctor make a more accurate diagnosis of your condition. A CT scan uses X-rays (radiant energy) to penetrate the body and produce clear pictures of your bones, muscles, tissue, organs, blood vessels and the brain that a regular X-ray cannot show.
How CT Scan Works
When you have a CT scan, the CT machine rotates a radiation source around your body very quickly and gathers image data from multiple X-ray beams. The process is completely painless. National guidelines and safety standards help calculate the exact amount of radiation necessary according to the image your physician needs, so you never receive more radiation than necessary. The data is then sent to a computer that turns it into the detailed picture that is read by a board-certified radiologist.
Types of CT Scans
Chest CT
If you are experiencing symptoms such as shortness of breath or a cough that won’t go away, your doctor may order a CT of your chest. During the chest CT, a harmless liquid contrast may be injected to make certain features inside your chest and lungs more visible. A chest CT can help your doctor diagnose lung conditions such as pneumonia, cancer, emphysema and tuberculosis.
CT angiography
An angiogram is an X-ray image of the blood vessels used to diagnose conditions such as aneurysms (bulges in blood vessels), atherosclerosis (buildup of deposits in blood vessels) and heart abnormalities. During a CT angiogram, dye containing iodine is injected into your blood stream where it flows through your blood vessels and organs. As your body passes through the CT machine, the scanner collects image data from the areas highlighted by the dye and sends the information to a computer. The computer uses this information to make a 3-D picture that helps your doctor make an accurate diagnosis.
CT colonography
In order to have a CT scan of the colon, your colon needs to be completely clear. The colon is then inflated with a harmless gas, which allows the CT scanner to capture clear images inside your colon. The computer then combines the images to make a 3D picture of your colon. This helps your doctor see abnormalities and diagnose cancerous and non-cancerous growths.
Head CT
Your doctor may order a head CT to help diagnose conditions such as aneurysms, brain tumors and stroke. Some head CT images are flat, while others may be 3D. In some cases, a harmless liquid dye contrast is injected during the scan to help highlight the inside of your head and make the CT image clearer.
Pediatric CT
Sometimes a CT scan is the only way to see inside your child’s body. We are especially careful to minimize your child’s exposure to radiation, following special procedures to determine the dose of radiation by age, weight and type of image needed. This allows us to use the least amount of radiation possible to make the highest quality images. In some cases, small children may need sedation to help them stay still during the scan.
PET scan
A PET scan is a type of nuclear medicine that uses a small amount of injected, swallowed or inhaled radioactive material to help highlight areas of your organs and tissues. The PET scan machine detects the radioactive material in the body and makes a specialized image of that area. The PET image may be combined with a CT image to form a single picture.
What To Expect
How CT Scan Works
When you have a CT scan, the CT machine rotates a radiation source around your body very quickly and gathers image data from multiple X-ray beams. The process is completely painless. National guidelines and safety standards help calculate the exact amount of radiation necessary according to the image your physician needs, so you never receive more radiation than necessary. The data is then sent to a computer that turns it into the detailed picture that is read by a board-certified radiologist.
Types of CT Scans
Chest CT
If you are experiencing symptoms such as shortness of breath or a cough that won’t go away, your doctor may order a CT of your chest. During the chest CT, a harmless liquid contrast may be injected to make certain features inside your chest and lungs more visible. A chest CT can help your doctor diagnose lung conditions such as pneumonia, cancer, emphysema and tuberculosis.
CT angiography
An angiogram is an X-ray image of the blood vessels used to diagnose conditions such as aneurysms (bulges in blood vessels), atherosclerosis (buildup of deposits in blood vessels) and heart abnormalities. During a CT angiogram, dye containing iodine is injected into your blood stream where it flows through your blood vessels and organs. As your body passes through the CT machine, the scanner collects image data from the areas highlighted by the dye and sends the information to a computer. The computer uses this information to make a 3-D picture that helps your doctor make an accurate diagnosis.
CT colonography
In order to have a CT scan of the colon, your colon needs to be completely clear. The colon is then inflated with a harmless gas, which allows the CT scanner to capture clear images inside your colon. The computer then combines the images to make a 3D picture of your colon. This helps your doctor see abnormalities and diagnose cancerous and non-cancerous growths.
Head CT
Your doctor may order a head CT to help diagnose conditions such as aneurysms, brain tumors and stroke. Some head CT images are flat, while others may be 3D. In some cases, a harmless liquid dye contrast is injected during the scan to help highlight the inside of your head and make the CT image clearer.
Pediatric CT
Sometimes a CT scan is the only way to see inside your child’s body. We are especially careful to minimize your child’s exposure to radiation, following special procedures to determine the dose of radiation by age, weight and type of image needed. This allows us to use the least amount of radiation possible to make the highest quality images. In some cases, small children may need sedation to help them stay still during the scan.
PET scan
A PET scan is a type of nuclear medicine that uses a small amount of injected, swallowed or inhaled radioactive material to help highlight areas of your organs and tissues. The PET scan machine detects the radioactive material in the body and makes a specialized image of that area. The PET image may be combined with a CT image to form a single picture.
