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Summary
Computed tomography (CT) is a type of imaging. It uses special x-ray equipment to make cross-sectional pictures of your body.
Doctors use CT scans to look for
- Broken bones
- Cancers
- Blood clots
- Signs of heart disease
- Internal bleeding
During a CT scan, you lie still on a table. The table slowly passes through the center of a large X-ray machine. The test is painless. During some tests you receive a contrast dye, which makes parts of your body show up better in the image.
NIH: National Cancer Institute
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Computed Tomography (CT) Scans and Cancer
(National Cancer Institute)
Also in Spanish
- CT Scan (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- What is Computed Tomography? (Food and Drug Administration)
Latest News
- Doctors Should Bone Up on CT Scan Cancer Risks (07/15/2016, HealthDay)
Diagnosis and Tests
- Whole-Body CT Screening--Should I or Shouldn't I Get One? (Food and Drug Administration)
Prevention and Risk Factors
- Full-Body CT Scans - What You Need to Know (Food and Drug Administration)
Related Issues
- Are CT Scans Safe? Is It True That CT Scans May Increase My Risk of Cancer? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Contrast Materials (Radiological Society of North America, American College of Radiology) Also in Spanish
- Doses from Medical Radiation Sources (Health Physics Society)
- How to Read Your Radiology Report (Radiological Society of North America, American College of Radiology) Also in Spanish
- Medical and Dental Patient Issues (Health Physics Society)
- What Are the Radiation Risks from CT? (Food and Drug Administration)
Specifics
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Chest CT Scan (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
- Computed Tomography (CT) - Spine (Radiological Society of North America, American College of Radiology) Also in Spanish
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Computed Tomography (CT) -- Head
(Radiological Society of North America, American College of Radiology)
Also in Spanish
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Computed Tomography (CT) -- Sinuses (Radiological Society of North America, American College of Radiology)
Also in Spanish
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Coronary Calcium Scan (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
- Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography (CTA) (Radiological Society of North America, American College of Radiology) Also in Spanish
- CT -- Abdomen and Pelvis (Radiological Society of North America, American College of Radiology) Also in Spanish
- CT -- Body (Radiological Society of North America, American College of Radiology) Also in Spanish
- CT Angiography (CTA) (Radiological Society of North America, American College of Radiology) Also in Spanish
- CT Colonography (Virtual Colonoscopy) (Radiological Society of North America, American College of Radiology) Also in Spanish
- CT Enterography (Radiological Society of North America, American College of Radiology) Also in Spanish
- CT Perfusion of the Head (Radiological Society of North America, American College of Radiology) Also in Spanish
- SPECT (Single-Photon Emission Computerized Tomography) Scan (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Urography (Radiological Society of North America, American College of Radiology) Also in Spanish
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Virtual Colonoscopy (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
Also in Spanish
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What Is Cardiac CT? (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
Videos and Tutorials
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Getting a CAT Scan (Nemours Foundation)
Also in Spanish
Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Tomography, X-Ray Computed (National Institutes of Health)
Journal ArticlesReferences and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Reference Desk
- RadiologyInfo: Glossary of Terms (Radiological Society of North America, American College of Radiology) Also in Spanish
Find an Expert
- American College of Radiology Accredited Facility Search (American College of Radiology)
- Food and Drug Administration
- RadiologyInfo (Radiological Society of North America, American College of Radiology) Also in Spanish
Children
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Children's (Pediatric) CT (Computed Tomography) (Radiological Society of North America, American College of Radiology)
Also in Spanish
- Keeping Kids Still during Exams (American Society of Radiologic Technologists) - PDF - In English and Spanish
Women
- Radiation Exposure and Pregnancy (Health Physics Society) - PDF
Patient Handouts
- Abdominal CT scan Also in Spanish
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CT angiography - abdomen and pelvis
Also in Spanish
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CT angiography - arms and legs
Also in Spanish
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CT angiography - chest
Also in Spanish
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CT angiography - head and neck
Also in Spanish
- Head CT scan Also in Spanish
- Heart CT scan Also in Spanish
- Lumbar Spine CT scan Also in Spanish
- Lumbosacral spine CT Also in Spanish
- Pelvic CT scan Also in Spanish
- Thoracic CT Also in Spanish
