There are many methods of diagnosis, but CT of the chest can detect even such minor disorders as cholesterol plaques on the walls of the vessels and tumors a few millimeters in size. However, much more often a CT scan is used to confirm a preliminary diagnosis, a study of the chest organs and their work.
What does CT scan of the chest?
With the help of CT of chest organs, even the smallest disturbances can be detected, which is very important when surgical intervention, intensive therapy or treatment of oncological diseases is needed. Most often indications for the procedure are:
- pain in the chest of various dislocations;
- shortness of breath, chronic cough;
- disruption of the shoulder girdle, spine;
- suspicion of a tumor and the establishment of its exact location;
- confirmation of the diagnosis in case of emphysema or tuberculosis, latent pneumonia;
- planning chemotherapy and radiation in the treatment of cancer;
- planning operations on the chest;
- diseases of vessels of different severity, thrombosis, pulmonary embolism;
- disorders in the work of the heart, aortic dissection;
- impossibility to identify the disease using X-rays and ultrasound.
As a rule, CT of the chest with or without contrast is prescribed by the attending physician. The patient can not enter this procedure by himself. If you have a need to conduct a routine examination because of unfavorable working conditions, or poor heredity, you can apply for services in a private diagnostic clinic.
Preparing for CT of the chest
In order to make CT of the thorax, no special training is required. Before the procedure, the patient only needs to remove all the metal accessories and jewelry, dress in comfortable light clothing and have patience - on average the examination lasts from 20 minutes to one and a half hours, depending on the volume of the study area and its details.
To conduct a computer tomography you will be offered to lie down on a special table, which will move forward within the scanner. In turn, the tomograph moves around the table in a spiral, using x-rays, the translucent organs of the thorax. Depending on the density of tissues of different structures, these rays can be reflected, or absorbed. As a result, the computer receives accurate cuts of each organ from the inner and outer sides and recreates the three-dimensional model of the investigated zone. This allows to determine even tiny metastases and the slightest pathologies in the work of the cardiovascular system, respiratory organs, digestion and musculoskeletal structures.
CT of the chest with contrast is necessary to more closely trace the work of the heart, the movement of blood through the vessels and the function of the lungs. Before the contrast solution is injected intravenously, or orally, the patient should not eat for 4 hours before the procedure. It is also necessary to make a complete blood test and allergic tests for iodine and its derivatives.
The procedure itself is relatively safe, but for children and pregnant women it should be carried out only if urgently needed.
What diseases can be detected with CT of the chest?
The spectrum of diseases that can be determined with the help of computed tomography is very wide, it covers absolutely all organs and systems located in the sternum zone. These include:
- pathology of the mediastinum, aorta, heart;
- accumulation of fluids of various origin in the pleural region;
- bronchiectasias, emphysema, lung cancer ;
- infectious diseases of the respiratory system;
- disorders of the bone structure of the ribs, spine;
- metastases of tumors, sprouted into organs, bone marrow, spine.