CT TRIPHASIC ABDOMEN

A CT Triphasic Abdomen is an advanced, non-invasive diagnostic imaging test that provides an incredibly detailed view of your abdominal organs and their blood supply. At Cadabam's Diagnostics, we use this powerful tool to help your doctor accurately diagnose and monitor a wide range of conditions with precision and care.

The procedure's primary purpose is to evaluate abdominal organs—especially the liver, pancreas, and kidneys—across three distinct phases of blood flow. This is achieved by injecting a special contrast dye through a small IV line and capturing images at precise moments. This detailed approach allows our radiologists to see not just the structure of your organs, but how they function in real-time, offering insights that other scans may miss.

Types of CT Triphasic Abdomen

While "triphasic" itself describes a specific type of CT scan, the triphasic CT protocol abdomen can be further tailored and optimized depending on the primary organ of interest. The timing of the scan phases and other technical parameters can be adjusted to get the best possible view of a specific area.

For example:

• Liver Protocol: The timing is optimized to perfectly capture the unique blood supply of the liver and characterize common liver lesions like HCC.
• Pancreas Protocol: The scan parameters are adjusted to provide maximum detail of the pancreas and surrounding vessels, which is critical for detecting and staging pancreatic cancer.
• Kidney Protocol: The scan focuses on the enhancement patterns of the kidneys to clearly distinguish between cysts and solid tumors.

Our expert radiologists at Cadabam's Diagnostics will ensure the correct protocol is used based on your doctor's request and your specific clinical situation.

During the analysis of your scan, our radiologists meticulously evaluate several key parameters to build a comprehensive diagnostic picture:

• Organ Morphology: The size, shape, and overall structure of the major abdominal organs, including the liver, pancreas, spleen, kidneys, and adrenal glands, are carefully assessed for any abnormalities.
• Tissue Density: We measure the density of the organ tissues before and after contrast. Changes in density can indicate the presence of a mass, inflammation, fluid collection, or injury.
• Vascularity of Lesions: This is a critical parameter. The radiologist closely examines how any detected mass or lesion enhances with contrast across the arterial, venous, and delayed phases. This unique enhancement pattern is a key feature used to identify the specific type of lesion.
• Blood Vessels: The anatomy and patency (openness) of major abdominal blood vessels are evaluated. This includes the aorta, vena cava, hepatic arteries, portal vein, and renal arteries, checking for blockages, aneurysms, or signs that a tumor is invading a vessel.

You may be scheduled for this test for several important reasons:

1. To Investigate Symptoms: To get to the bottom of concerning symptoms like persistent abdominal pain, jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), or unexplained weight loss when a highly detailed evaluation of the abdominal organs is required.
2. To Characterize a Lesion: To accurately determine the nature of a mass or abnormality that was discovered on another imaging test, such as an ultrasound or a standard CT. The triphasic scan can often distinguish between a harmless cyst, a benign tumor, and a malignant cancer.
3. For Staging and Planning: To determine the exact size and extent of a known cancer (staging) and to provide a detailed roadmap for surgeons before an operation or for oncologists to plan radiation therapy.
4. To Monitor Treatment: To assess how effectively a cancer treatment is working by comparing scans taken before and after therapy.

When and Who Needs to Take a CT Triphasic Abdomen?

Your doctor may recommend a CT Triphasic Abdomen scan if they need to investigate specific findings or symptoms that require a highly detailed look at your abdominal organs' blood supply.

Common indications include:

• Characterizing Liver Lesions: It is considered the gold standard for evaluating suspicious masses in the liver, such as those found on a previous ultrasound or a standard CT scan.
• Diagnosing and Staging Liver Cancer: It is essential for identifying and assessing the extent of primary liver cancers like hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
• Evaluating Pancreatic Tumors: The scan provides excellent detail of the pancreas, helping to diagnose conditions like pancreatic adenocarcinoma or neuroendocrine tumors.
• Assessing Kidney Masses: It helps differentiate between benign cysts and cancerous tumors in the kidneys, such as renal cell carcinoma.
• Pre-Surgical Planning: Surgeons use the detailed images to plan complex operations on the liver, pancreas, or kidneys.
• Monitoring Treatment Response: The scan can be used to see how a known tumor is responding to treatments like chemotherapy or radiation.

This test is often ordered for patients with chronic liver disease (like cirrhosis, which increases the risk of liver cancer), individuals with a known history of cancer that can spread to the abdomen, or patients presenting with symptoms like unexplained weight loss, jaundice, or persistent abdominal pain.

Benefits of Taking the Test

The detailed information provided by a CT Triphasic Abdomen offers significant benefits for your diagnosis and care plan:

• Superior Detail: Provides highly detailed anatomical and functional information that is not visible on standard CTs, X-rays, or ultrasounds.
• Accurate Diagnosis: It is one of the most effective tools for differentiating between benign and malignant tumors in the liver and pancreas, which is crucial for determining the right course of treatment.
• Guides Treatment: The results are vital for guiding critical medical decisions, including whether a biopsy is needed, the best surgical approach to use, or which non-surgical treatment to pursue.
• Non-Invasive: Apart from the small IV injection, the procedure is non-invasive and provides a wealth of information without the need for exploratory surgery.

Illnesses Diagnosed with CT Triphasic Abdomen

This advanced scan is instrumental in diagnosing and managing a variety of serious conditions, including:

• Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) and other primary cancers of the liver.
• Liver Metastases (cancer that has originated elsewhere in the body and spread to the liver).
• Benign Liver Tumors such as hemangiomas, focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH), and adenomas.
• Pancreatic Tumors, including pancreatic adenocarcinoma and neuroendocrine tumors.
• Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC) and other types of kidney cancer.
• Vascular Abnormalities such as aortic aneurysms, dissections, or thrombosis (clotting) in major abdominal vessels.
• Cirrhosis and its complications.

Proper preparation is essential for a successful scan. Please follow these instructions carefully:

• Diet: You will be required to fast for 4-6 hours before your appointment. This means no food or drinks, except for small sips of water. A full stomach can interfere with image quality and increase the small risk of nausea from the contrast dye.
• Clothing: Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothes. Avoid clothing with metal zippers, snaps, buttons, or underwire bras, as metal can interfere with the CT images. You may be asked to change into a hospital gown.
• Medication: Please inform our staff about all medications you are currently taking. If you are diabetic and take Metformin (or medications containing it), you will be given specific instructions, as it may need to be temporarily stopped after the scan.
• Hydration: It is a good idea to drink plenty of water the day before and especially after your scan. Staying well-hydrated helps your kidneys flush the contrast dye from your system more efficiently.

Pre-requisites

• A recent kidney function test (Serum Creatinine) is mandatory before the scan can proceed. This is a simple blood test to ensure your kidneys are healthy enough to handle the contrast dye safely.
• You must have a doctor's referral or prescription to undergo a CT Triphasic Abdomen.

Best Time to Take the CT Triphasic Abdomen

The test can be scheduled at any time of day that is convenient for you and works with the availability at Cadabam's Diagnostics. There is no biological "best time" to have the scan; the most important factor is ensuring you have completed the required fasting period beforehand.

Eligibility

Most adults are eligible for a CT Triphasic Abdomen. However, certain conditions may prevent you from having the test or require special precautions. These are known as contraindications.

Primary contraindications include:

• Known Severe Allergy: A history of a severe allergic reaction to iodine-based contrast material.
• Severe Kidney Failure: Poor kidney function may make the use of contrast dye unsafe.
• Pregnancy: The test is avoided during pregnancy to protect the fetus from radiation.

Please discuss your full medical history with your doctor and our staff to confirm your eligibility.

Procedure for Taking a CT Triphasic Abdomen

Our friendly and experienced team at Cadabam's Diagnostics will guide you through every step of the process to ensure you are comfortable.

• Step 1: Check-in and IV Placement: After you check in, a technologist or nurse will explain the procedure and answer any questions. They will then place a small IV (intravenous) line into a vein in your arm or hand. This is used to administer the contrast dye.
• Step 2: Positioning: You will be asked to lie down on your back on the padded CT scanner table. The technologist will help position you correctly. The table will then slide slowly into the center of the large, ring-shaped scanner (gantry).
• Step 3: Non-Contrast Scan (Optional): In some cases, an initial scan may be performed before the contrast dye is given.
• Step 4: Contrast Injection: The technologist, from a control room, will begin the injection of the contrast dye through your IV line. It is very common to feel a warm sensation spreading through your body or experience a temporary metallic taste in your mouth. These feelings are normal and pass quickly.
• Step 5: Phased Imaging: This is the core of the triple phase ct scan abdomen. The scanner will take images rapidly at very specific time intervals to capture the arterial, venous, and delayed phases. You will hear the scanner rotating, but you won't feel anything. The technologist will ask you to hold your breath for 10-20 seconds a few times during the scan to prevent blurring the images.

The entire procedure, from entering the room to leaving, typically takes about 15 to 30 minutes.

Caution Before Taking the Test

For your safety, it is absolutely essential that you inform the technologist before your scan if you:

• Are, or think you might be, pregnant.
• Are currently breastfeeding.
• Have any known allergies, especially to iodine, contrast dye, or shellfish.
• Have a history of kidney disease, kidney failure, or diabetes.
• Have thyroid problems, such as an overactive thyroid.
• Are taking Metformin or any related medication for diabetes.