CT (Computed Tomography)

A Computed Tomography scan, or CT scan, is a specialized x-ray that is a fast pain-
less diagnostic test doctors can use to see inside the body. The process creates clear, sharp images of many kinds of tissue, including lungs, bones, soft tissues, and blood vessels which are helpful in diagnosing numerous conditions such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and infectious diseases.

Images created by CT scans are also used as guides for administering radiation treatments for cancer patients, to guide biopsies, and in planning surgery. In medical emergencies caused by accidents or other trauma, CT scans are often used to assess injuries, including those to internal organs.

CT exams are quick and comfortable. You will be asked to lie still on a table for as
little as five minutes as it gently moves you through the scanner. A ring-shaped gantry
is positioned over the body as images—as many as a thousand for each “slice”—are recorded by the x-ray tube and detector rotating around the gantry. Sometimes images are enhanced with the use of dyes or other contrast materials that are swallowed or injected into blood veins.

EXAMINATION / PROCEDURE INFORMATION

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Much of the material on this website was developed from information provided by the
Radiological Society of North America and gleaned from www.radiologyinfo.net. You are
invited to visit the website forr more detailed information on radiological procedures.

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