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Radiology Computerized Tomography (CT)
Computerized tomography is a sophisticated diagnostic imaging procedure
capable of depicting anatomy at different levels within the body. This
ability, known as cross-sectional imaging, is possible because the X-ray
source rotates around the patient during a CT scan, encircling the patient's
body and capturing anatomical detail form many angles. Each rotation
of the X-ray beam produces a single cross-sectional "slice" of anatomy, like
the slices in a loaf of bread. Computerized tomography allows
physicians to see a single slice of the body, just as if you were taking a
slice of bread out of a loaf. Using this technology, physicians
can view the inside of anatomic structures, a feat not possible with general
radiography.
CT imaging is particularly useful because it can show several types of
tissue - lung, bone, soft tissue, and blood vessels, with great clarity.
Using specialized equipment and expertise to create and interpret CT scans
of the body, radiologists can more easily diagnose problems such as cancers,
cardiovascular disease, trauma and musculoskeletal disorders. CT of
the body is a patient-friendly exam that involves little radiation exposure.
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