CT Scan
Computer-aided tomography - a CT scan - is quick and noninvasive. Small X-ray scanners take images of a targeted area and send a three-dimensional view to a computer. The computer displays this information as "slices," allowing the radiologist to review the scanned area in a sequence of images.
About the Exam
Patients lie on a table that slowly moves through the scanner and creates 3-D images. The procedure may be performed with or without a contrast agent, based on physician orders. All CT exams are performed by a CT technologist and interpreted by board-certified radiologists.
In addition to extensive testing, CT scans are also used for screenings, including coronary calcium scoring and lung cancer screenings.