Chest CT scan

A chesL compuLed Lomography or C1 scan ls a palnless nonlnvaslve LesL lL

creaLes preclse lmages of Lhe sLrucLures ln Lhe chesL such as your lungs
nonlnvaslve means LhaL no surgery ls done and no lnsLrumenLs are
lnserLed lnLo Lhe body

A chesL C1 scan ls a Lype of xray Powever a C1 scans plcLures show more
deLalls Lhan plcLures from a sLandard chesL xray

Llke oLher xray LesLs chesL C1 scans use a form of energy called lonlzlng
radlaLlon 1hls energy helps creaLe plcLures of Lhe lnslde of Lhelr chesL

Cverv|ew

ChesL C1 scans are used Lo
O how Lhe slze shape and poslLlon of Lhe lungs and oLher sLrucLures
ln Lhe chesL
O ollow up on abnormallLles LhaL are found on sLandard chesL xrays
O lnd Lhe cause of lung sympLoms such as shorLness of breaLh or
chesL paln
O ee wheLher Lhere ls a lung problem such as a Lumor excess fluld
around Lhe lungs or a pulmonary embollsm (a blood cloL ln Lhe
lungs) 1he LesL also ls used Lo check for oLher condlLlons such as
Luberculosls emphysema and pneumonla
1he chesL C1 scannlng machlne Lakes many plcLures called sllces of Lhe
lungs and Lhe lnslde of Lhe chesL A compuLer processes Lhese plcLures
Lhey can be vlewed on a monlLor or prlnLed on fllm 1he compuLer also can
sLack Lhe plcLures Lo creaLe a very deLalled Lhreedlmenslonal (3u) model
of organs

omeLlmes a speclal subsLance (called conLrasL dye) ls ln[ecLed lnLo a veln
ln Lhe arm 1hls subsLance hlghllghLs areas ln Lhe chesL whlch helps creaLe
clearer lmages

@es of chest C@ scans

A C1 scanner ls a large machlne wlLh a Lunnelllke hole ln Lhe cenLer uurlng
a chesL C1 scan a person lles on a Lable as lL moves small dlsLances aL a
Llme Lhrough Lhe hole

An xray beam roLaLes around Lhe body as Lhe person moves Lhrough Lhe
hole A compuLer Lakes daLa from Lhe xrays and creaLes a serles of
plcLures called sllces of Lhe lnslde of Lhe chesL

ulfferenL Lypes of chesL C1 scans have dlfferenL dlagnosLlc uses


|ghreso|ut|on chest C@ scan

PlghresoluLlon C1 (P8C1) scans provlde more Lhan one sllce ln a slngle
roLaLlon of Lhe xray Lube Lach sllce ls very Lhln and provldes a loL of
deLalls abouL Lhe organs and oLher sLrucLures ln Lhe chesL


S|ra| chest C@ scan

or Lhls scan Lhe Lable moves conLlnuously Lhrough Lhe Lunnelllke hole as
Lhe xray Lube roLaLes around Lhe lndlvldual 1hls allows Lhe xray beam Lo
follow a splral paLh

1he machlnes compuLer can process Lhe many sllces lnLo a very deLalled
Lhreedlmenslonal (3u) plcLure of Lhe lungs and oLher sLrucLures ln Lhe
chesL

Who needs a chest C@ scan

eople who have sympLoms of lung problems such as chesL paln or Lrouble
breaLhlng may need chesL C1 scans 1he scan helps flnd Lhe cause of Lhe
sympLoms

ChesL C1 scans look for problems such as Lumors excess fluld around Lhe
lungs and pulmonary embollsm (a blood cloL ln Lhe lungs) 1he scan also
checks for oLher condlLlons such as Luberculosls emphysema and
pneumonla

A chesL C1 scan may be ordered lf a sLandard chesL xray doesnL help
dlagnose Lhe problem or example a chesL C1 scan may be ordered afLer a
chesL xray Lo
O ee more deLalled plcLures of Lhe lungs and oLher sLrucLures ln Lhe
chesL
O lnd Lhe exacL locaLlon of a Lumor or oLher problem
O how someLhlng LhaL lsnL vlslble on a chesL xray

9rerocedure

What to wear

Wear looseflLLlng comforLable cloLhlng for Lhe LesL ln some cases Lhe C1
scan Lechnlclan (a person speclally Lralned Lo do C1 scans) may ask Lhe
sub[ecL Lo wear a hosplLal gown

ub[ecLs wlll be asked Lo Lake off any [ewelry eyeglasses and meLal ob[ecLs
LhaL mlghL lnLerfere wlLh Lhe LesL

ub[ecLs may be asked Lo remove hearlng alds and denLures as well 1he
Lechnlclan should be made aware of any body plerclng on Lhe chesL


9regnanc and other cond|t|ons

1ell your docLor wheLher youre pregnanL or may be pregnanL lf posslble
you should avold unnecessary radlaLlon exposure durlng pregnancy 1hls ls
because of Lhe concern LhaL radlaLlon may harm Lhe feLus ?ou and your
docLor wlll declde wheLher Lhe beneflLs of a chesL C1 scan ouLwelgh Lhe
posslble rlsks Lo Lhe feLus or wheLher anoLher LesL mlghL be beLLer lf you
do have Lhe chesL C1 scan Lhe Lechnlclan wlll Lake exLra sLeps Lo reduce Lhe
feLus exposure Lo radlaLlon ?ou also should Lell your docLor wheLher
O ?oure Laklng any medlclnes
O ?ou have any allergles
O ?ouve recenLly been lll
O ?ou have any medlcal condlLlons (for example hearL dlsease
asLhma dlabeLes kldney dlsease or Lhyrold problems)
1hese facLors or condlLlons may ralse your rlsk for a bad reacLlon Lo Lhe
LesL


@he C@ mach|ne

1he C1 scanner ls a large machlne wlLh a Lunnelllke hole ln Lhe cenLer ?ou
lle on a Lable LhaL goes Lhrough Lhe hole

1ell your docLor lf youre afrald of LlghL or closed spaces Pe or she may glve
you medlclne Lo help you relax 1hls medlclne may make you sleepy so
youll need Lo arrange for a rlde home afLer Lhe LesL


Contrast de

?our docLor may glve you a speclal subsLance (called conLrasL dye) 1hls
subsLance hlghllghLs areas of your chesL and helps creaLe clearer lmages

1he conLrasL dye wlll be ln[ecLed lnLo a veln ln your arm ?ou may feel some
dlscomforL when Lhe needle ls lnserLed As Lhe subsLance ls ln[ecLed you
also may feel warm and have a meLalllc LasLe ln your mouLh 1hese feellngs
lasL only a few mlnuLes

?our docLor may ask you noL Lo eaL or drlnk for a few hours before Lhe LesL
especlally lf conLrasL dye ls parL of Lhe LesL

ome people are allerglc Lo Lhe conLrasL dye lf you have allerglc sympLoms
such as lLchlng or hlves Lell Lhe Lechnlclan or docLor rlghL away Pe or she
can glve you medlclne Lo relleve Lhe sympLoms

1he mosL common Lype of conLrasL dye used ln lung C1 scans conLalns
lodlne LeL your docLor know lf youre allerglc Lo lodlne

lf youre breasLfeedlng ask your docLor how long you should walL afLer Lhe
LesL before you breasLfeed 1he conLrasL dye can be passed Lo your baby
Lhrough your breasL mllk

?ou may wanL Lo prepare for Lhe LesL by pumplng and savlng mllk for 24 Lo
48 hours ln advance ?ou can boLLlefeed your baby ln Lhe hours afLer Lhe
C1 scan


ntrarocedure

A chesL C1 scan Lakes abouL 30 mlnuLes whlch lncludes preparaLlon Llme
1he acLual scannlng Llme ls much shorLer only a few mlnuLes or less

1he C1 scanner ls a large machlne LhaL has a Lunnelllke hole ln Lhe mlddle
?ou wlll lle on a narrow Lable LhaL moves Lhrough Lhe hole

Whlle youre lnslde Lhe scanner an xray Lube moves around your body
?ou wlll hear sofL buzzlng cllcklng or whlrrlng nolses as Lhe scanner Lakes
plcLures

1he C1 scan Lechnlclan who conLrols Lhe machlne wlll be ln Lhe nexL room
Pe or she can see you Lhrough a glass wlndow and Lalk Lo you Lhrough a
speaker

Movlng your body can cause Lhe plcLures Lo blur 1he Lechnlclan wlll ask
you Lo lle sLlll and hold your breaLh for shorL perlods 1hese measures help
make Lhe plcLures as clear as posslble

1he scan lLself doesnL hurL buL you may feel anxlous lf you geL nervous ln
LlghL or closed spaces ?our docLor may glve you medlclne Lo help you relax