CT Scans

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Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Prevention and Risk Factors

Learn More

• Related Issues
• Specifics

See, Play and Learn

• Videos and Tutorials

Research

• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Reference Desk
• Find an Expert

For You

• Children
• Women
• Patient Handouts

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

• Fractures (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

Start Here

• 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) Also in Spanish

Prevention and Risk Factors

• Are CT Scans Safe? Is It True That CT Scans May Increase My Risk of Cancer? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Full-Body CT Scans - What You Need to Know (Food and Drug Administration)
• What Are the Radiation Risks from CT? (Food and Drug Administration)
• Whole-Body CT Screening--Should I or Shouldn't I Get One? (Food and Drug Administration)

Related Issues

• Contrast Materials (American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
• Doses from Medical Radiation Sources (Health Physics Society)
• How to Read Your Radiology Report (American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
• Medical and Dental Patient Issues (Health Physics Society)

Specifics

• Abdominal and Pelvic CT (American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
• Body CT (CAT Scan) (American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
• Cardiac CT Scan (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
• Computed Tomography (CT) - Spine (American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
• Computed Tomography (CT) -- Head (American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
• Computed Tomography (CT) -- Sinuses (American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
• Coronary Calcium Scan (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
• Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography (CTA) (American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
• CT Angiography (CTA) (American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
• CT Enterography (American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
• CT Perfusion of the Head (American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
• SPECT (Single-Photon Emission Computerized Tomography) Scan (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Urography (American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
• Virtual Colonoscopy (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish

Videos and Tutorials

• Getting a CAT Scan (For Kids) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Tomography, X-Ray Computed (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Approach to Abnormal Chest Computed Tomography Contrast Enhancement in the Hospitalized...
• Article: Imaging of Altered Mental Status.
• Article: Neuroimaging of Patients in the Intensive Care Unit: Pearls and Pitfalls.
• CT Scans -- see more articles

Reference Desk

• RadiologyInfo: Glossary of Terms (American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish

Find an Expert

• American College of Radiology Accredited Facility Search (American College of Radiology)
• Food and Drug Administration
• RadiologyInfo (American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish

Children

• Children's (Pediatric) CT (Computed Tomography) (American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) 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 (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• CT angiography - abdomen and pelvis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• CT angiography - arms and legs (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• CT angiography - chest (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• CT angiography - head and neck (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Head CT scan (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Heart CT scan (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Lumbar Spine CT scan (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Lumbosacral spine CT (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Pelvic CT scan (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Thoracic CT (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish