Chest CT Scan is a more advanced form of chest X-ray that combines the power of X-rays and computers to provide a three-dimensional image of your chest. A CT scan produces a variety of informative slices (pictures), which are then combined into a single projection. This offers a clear view of the organs in your chest, revealing their location, shape, and scale.
What is a Chest CT Scan?
Computed tomography (CT) of the chest examines anomalies seen in other imaging tests to better diagnose the source of unexplained cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, fever, and other chest symptoms. CT scanning is fast, painless, noninvasive, and precise. Since it can detect very small nodules in the lung, chest CT is particularly useful for diagnosing lung cancer at its most treatable level.
Inform your doctor if you believe you are pregnant and discuss any recent diseases, medical problems, drugs you are taking, any allergies you have. You will be told not to eat or drink anything for a few hours before the procedure. If you have a known allergy to contrast material, your doctor can prescribe medications to reduce your chances of having an allergic reaction. These drugs must be started 12 hours before your test. Wear loose, comfortable clothes and leave your jewelry at home. You may be required to wear a gown. Chest CT Scan in Chennai
What are some of the procedure’s most popular applications?
A chest CT scan is used to:
- Examine any anomalies discovered on traditional chest x-rays.
- assist in the diagnosis of the causes of clinical signs or symptoms of chest illness, such as cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, or fever
- detect and assess the extent of tumors that grow in the chest or that have spread there from other parts of the body
- Check to see if tumors are reacting to treatment.
- assist in the planning of radiation therapy
- Injuries to the chest, including the heart, blood vessels, lungs, ribs, and spine, must be evaluated.
- examine chest anomalies discovered during prenatal ultrasound exams
Chest CT can demonstrate various lung disorders, such as:
- Tumors, both benign and malignant.
- Pneumonia, asthma, bronchiectasis, and cystic fibrosis are all examples of diseases.
- Pleura inflammation or other pleura disorders (the covering of the lungs).
- Chronic and interstitial lung disease
- Anomalies that occur at birth.
- The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently approved CT scanning for screening asymptomatic
- people who have smoked a large number of cigarettes. For more information, visit the Lung Cancer Screening page.
To test the blood vessels (arteries and veins) in the chest, a CT angiogram (CTA) may be performed. This involves the rapid injection of an iodine-containing fluid (contrast material) into a vein while obtaining CT images.
COVID-19 and Chest CT Scan in Chennai
COVID-19, also known as SARS-CoV-2 or extreme acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, is a viral disease.A positive PCR test, which is highly accurate, is used to make the diagnosis.
CT has a higher sensitivity but lower specificity and can help in disease detection and treatment.
The most common finding in COVID-19 infections is a ground glass (GGO) pattern.
They are usually multifocal, bilateral, and peripheral, but in the early stages of the disease, the GGO may present as a unifocal lesion, most often in the right lung’s inferior lobe (6).
CT scans of a young male who had a ten-day fever with gradual coughing and shortness of breath.
At the time of entry, the saturation rate was 66%.
The COVID-19 PCR test resulted in a positive result.
There are widespread bilateral ground-glass opacities, with a posterior bias.