A Computed Tomography (CT) exam offers several advantages in the diagnosis and treatment of many medical conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease, infectious disease, trauma and musculoskeletal disorders.
Perhaps the greatest benefit is its ability to capture, with exceptional clarity and detail, images of internal organs, bone, soft tissue, blood vessels, and other areas inside the body that can be difficult to see with conventional X-ray.
The sophisticated X-ray technology works by taking multiple pictures from different angles of inside the body. A computer analyzes and integrates the data to create a series of cross-sectional pictures, called slices. These slices are combined to produce two and three-dimensional images that can be viewed clearly on a monitor, shared electronically or printed. The tool allows physicians to accurately evaluate the location, shape, size, density and texture of internal structures.
CT scans, also called CAT scans, are often used to examine problems with the heart, abdomen, brain, chest, joints, bones, pelvis, sinuses, jaw and mouth, neck and urinary system.