Radiology - CT (Computerised Tomography) Scanning

General introduction

CT stands for Computerised Tomography and is a diagnostic technique in which the combined use of a computer and X-rays passed through the body at different angles produces cross-sectional images of tissues. Departments on all our sites incorporate modern spiral CT equipment.

Any part of the body can be scanned using CT although the most common examinations are:

• head for example for trauma or cerebrovascular accident (stroke)
• thorax
• abdomen and pelvis
• orthopaedic examinations
• interventional procedures, for example, biopsies or drainages and angiograms 

Patients undergoing body scans are asked to drink a volume of water immediately before their examination, which can take up to an hour to fill the digestive system, before the scan is performed. They may also require an injection of an iodine-based agent as the images are acquired. This highlights the blood vessels which supply the body organs and can make the images clearer for radiologists to interpret.