CT THORAX & UPPER ABDOMEN

A Computed Tomography (CT) scan, sometimes called a CAT scan, is a sophisticated imaging method. Think of it as an advanced X-ray. During a CT Thorax & Upper Abdomen scan, a rotating X-ray machine moves around your body, taking hundreds of pictures from different angles.

A powerful computer then processes these images and digitally combines them to create detailed, two-dimensional "slices" or cross-sections of your body. These slices allow our radiologists to see your bones, organs, blood vessels, and soft tissues with remarkable clarity, an advantage over standard X-rays. For an even more comprehensive evaluation, these slices can be stacked together to create three-dimensional (3D) models, giving your doctor an unparalleled view of the area being examined.

Types of CT Thorax & Upper Abdomen Scan

Depending on the reason for your scan, your doctor will order it with or without intravenous (IV) contrast.

Without Contrast

This is a standard scan that provides excellent, clear images of bone structures and gives a good general overview of the organs in the chest and abdomen. It's often sufficient for identifying fractures, assessing lung tissue for certain conditions, or detecting calcifications.

With Contrast

For many diagnostic questions, a scan with contrast is necessary. This involves injecting an iodine-based dye into a vein in your arm.

Purpose

The contrast material travels through your bloodstream, brightly highlighting blood vessels and internal organs like the liver, spleen, and kidneys. This makes abnormalities much more visible to the radiologist.

Indications

The CT of thorax and upper abdomen with contrast indications are numerous and critical. It is essential for evaluating vascular issues like aneurysms, pinpointing areas of infection or inflammation, and, most importantly, identifying and characterizing tumors. The way a mass absorbs contrast dy

During your CT Thorax & Upper Abdomen scan, our expert radiologists meticulously examine a wide range of anatomical structures to provide a comprehensive report for your doctor.

Thoracic Structures

This includes the lungs, airways (trachea and bronchi), the heart and its major vessels (like the aorta and pulmonary artery), the esophagus, and lymph nodes in the chest.

Abdominal Structures

This includes the liver, gallbladder, spleen, pancreas, kidneys, adrenal glands, stomach, parts of the small and large intestines, and major abdominal blood vessels.

Radiologist's Focus

The radiologist is trained to assess the size, shape, density, and texture of each organ. They are expertly looking for any sign of abnormality, including tumors, masses, abscesses, fluid collections, inflammation (like pancreatitis), infection (like pneumonia), or internal bleeding.

Your doctor may order this test for one of four primary reasons:

1. Diagnosis: To find the cause of specific, often acute, symptoms. This includes severe chest or abdominal pain, sudden difficulty breathing, or the onset of jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), which can indicate liver or gallbladder problems.
2. Cancer Staging: To perform a CT scan for cancer staging. This is critical for determining the extent of known cancers such as lung, esophageal, liver, stomach, or pancreatic cancer, and to check for spread to lymph nodes or other organs.
3. Trauma: In emergency situations, this scan is the gold standard for quickly assessing multi-system organ damage after a serious accident, fall, or injury.
4. Monitoring: To track the progress of a known condition. This includes monitoring the size of an aortic aneurysm, checking for changes in lung nodules, or evaluating how well a tumor is responding to cancer treatment like chemotherapy.

When and Who Needs to Take a CT Thorax & Upper Abdomen Scan?

This combined scan is ordered for several important reasons, often to get a complete picture of how the chest and abdominal cavities may be related.

Primary Use Cases

It is frequently used to evaluate significant injuries from trauma, such as a car accident, to quickly identify internal bleeding or organ damage. It is also a key tool for investigating the source of unexplained symptoms like persistent chest or abdominal pain, shortness of breath, or unintended weight loss.

Cancer Evaluation

The CT Thorax & Upper Abdomen scan plays a crucial role in oncology. It is essential for diagnosing suspected cancers and, critically, for CT scan for cancer staging. This means it helps determine if a cancer that started in the chest (like lung cancer) has spread to the abdomen (like the liver), or vice versa. This information is vital for planning treatment.

Symptom Investigation

Your doctor may recommend this scan if you are experiencing a combination of symptoms that could point to issues in both body cavities, such as a persistent cough, chest pain, abdominal discomfort, bloating, or jaundice.

Benefits of Taking the Test

Choosing to have a CT Thorax & Upper Abdomen scan at Cadabams Diagnostics offers several key advantages:

• Comprehensive View: It provides an incredibly detailed look at two major body cavities—the chest and abdomen—in one fast and efficient procedure, saving time and providing a holistic diagnostic picture.
• Accuracy: The high-resolution images allow for a very precise diagnosis, which is the foundation for effective treatment planning and can reduce the need for more invasive exploratory procedures.
• Speed: The scan itself is very quick, often completed in minutes. This speed is especially crucial in emergency and trauma settings where rapid diagnosis is life-saving.

Illnesses Diagnosed with CT Thorax and Upper Abdomen Scan

This versatile imaging tool can help diagnose a vast array of conditions, including:

• Cancers: Lung cancer, lymphoma, esophageal cancer, liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, and kidney cancer.
• Infections & Inflammation: Pneumonia, lung abscesses, pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), cholecystitis (inflammation of the gallbladder), and appendicitis.
• Vascular Issues: Aortic aneurysm (a bulge in the main artery), aortic dissection (a tear in the aorta's wall), and pulmonary embolism (a blood clot in the lungs).
• Traumatic Injuries: Lacerations or bruising of the liver or spleen, collapsed lung (pneumothorax), and rib fractures.

Proper preparation helps ensure the highest quality images. Please follow these guidelines:

Clothing

Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing to your appointment. You will likely be asked to change into a hospital gown. It is important to avoid wearing any clothes with metal, such as zippers, snaps, belt buckles, or underwire bras, as metal can interfere with the CT images.

Fasting

If your scan will be performed with contrast, you will be asked not to eat or drink anything for approximately 4-6 hours before your scheduled time. This prevents complications if you have a reaction to the dye. Our scheduling staff will give you specific instructions.

Medication

Please inform our staff about all medications you are currently taking. It is especially important to let us know if you take Metformin (or Glucophage) for diabetes, as you may need to temporarily stop it around the time of your scan if you are receiving contrast.

Pre-requisites

• A doctor's referral or prescription is required to have a CT scan performed.
• If contrast dye is planned, you may need to have recent blood work done to check your kidney function (specifically, a creatinine test). This ensures your kidneys can safely process and eliminate the dye.

Best Time to Take the Scan

For non-urgent cases, the test can be scheduled at your convenience during our regular operating hours. Cadabams Diagnostics also provides 24/7 services for emergency cases requiring immediate attention.

Eligibility

Most adults are eligible for a CT scan. However, it is critically important that you inform the technologist if you:

• Have any allergies, especially to iodine, shellfish, or previous X-ray contrast dyes.
• Have any chronic kidney problems or diabetes.
• Are or think you might be pregnant.

Procedure for Taking a CT Thorax & Upper Abdomen Scan

Understanding the thoracoabdominal CT scan procedure can help you feel more comfortable on the day of your test. Here is a step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Check-in & Prep

When you arrive, our staff will confirm your details and review your medical history. If your scan requires contrast, a technologist or nurse will place a small IV line into a vein in your hand or arm.

Step 2: Positioning

You will be asked to lie down on your back on a narrow, motorized table. The technologist will ensure you are comfortable and positioned correctly. The table will then slide into the center of the large, doughnut-shaped CT scanner, also known as the gantry.

Step 3: The Scan

The table will move slowly through the gantry as the scanner rotates around you, capturing the images. You will hear whirring and buzzing sounds from the machine, which is completely normal. The technologist will be in an adjacent room but can see, hear, and speak to you at all times.

Step 4: Breathing Instructions

To get the clearest possible images of your chest, it is important to remain perfectly still. The technologist will communicate with you over an intercom and ask you to hold your breath for a few seconds at a time at specific points during the scan.

Step 5: Completion

Once all the images have been taken, the table will slide out of the scanner. The entire procedure in the room typically takes between 15 and 30 minutes, with the actual scanning time lasting only a few minutes. If you had an IV line, it will be removed.

Caution Before Taking the Test

Your safety is our top priority. For this reason, it is absolutely crucial that you share the following information with the technologist before your scan begins:

• If you are or could be pregnant.
• If you are currently breastfeeding.
• If you have any allergies, especially to contrast dye, iodine, or shellfish.
• If you have a history of kidney disease, kidney failure, or diabetes.