CT Scan
Computerized tomography (CT, CT scan, CAT scan) is an X-ray technique that produces more detailed images of your internal organs than conventional X-rays. With CT, a computer translates information from X-rays into thin sections of images or "slices" of your body at different levels.
Using CT, your doctor can make distinctions between adjacent tissues that are indistinct with conventional X-rays. For example, a plain X-ray of your abdomen might show bones and some subtle outlines of the liver, stomach, intestines, kidney and spleen. But a CT scan reveals, with clarity and precision, not only these organs, but also the pancreas, adrenal glands, ureters and blood vessels.
CT can pinpoint a tumor or infection deep in the brain, abdomen or chest. A radiologist can look through a set of consecutive slices, locate a mass and estimate its dimensions. Doctors use it to guide surgery and biopsies, drain cysts and abscesses, and target radiation therapy. CT can find a clot in the brain responsible for a stroke. Because of their speed and superior visualization of soft tissue structures, CT scans are invaluable in the detection of trauma to the brain and abdomen.
About Your CT Scan at Dupont Hospital
A member of the team will take the time to answer your questions and make you comfortable before your CT scan. You'll be asked to change into a gown for the CT scan in a private changing room with a locker. Some patients may need to drink a dye solution to ensure the best possible contrast for the images. Your family will be able to wait in the comfortable waiting area near the CT suite.
The question we're asked most often is "how did it look?" A radiologist and your physician will make a diagnosis and answer your questions regarding your scan.
A CT scan is a powerful tool that doctors rely on to make an accurate diagnosis.