MSCT of the chest cavity organs

Multislice computed tomography (MSCT) of the chest cavity with contrast is an X-ray diagnostic method in which intravenous contrast is used to assess the condition of the soft tissues of the chest, lung parenchyma, blood vessels, lymph nodes, as well as to detect pathological changes, neoplasms, etc.

Services

Indications for CT scan of the chest cavity

• pneumonia that is difficult to treat, or insufficient information content of the lung X-ray performed to make a diagnosis;
• tuberculosis inflammation;
• suspected pulmonary embolism;
• systemic lung diseases (idiopathic fibrosing alveolitis, sarcoidosis, etc.);
• parasitic lesion (pulmonary eosinophilia, pneumoconiosis, etc.);
• presence of free fluid in the pleural cavities;
• emphysematous changes in the lung parenchyma;
• lung abscess;
• suspected chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD);
• suspected neoplasms in the chest area (schwannomas, lipomas, air cysts, hamartromas, etc.);
• malignant process (both to confirm the diagnosis, and to clarify the location, size, spread of the tumor to nearby organs, etc.);
• assessment of secondary lymph node involvement in malignant tumors in the chest cavity;
• traumatic injury (bone elements of the chest cavity, lung parenchyma, etc.);
• suspected presence of foreign bodies in the lower respiratory tract, etc.

Advantages of CT scan of the chest cavity

• The fine stepwise scanning slice is 0.5 mm, which allows to obtain a high-quality series of images in three planes.
• The scanning speed is up to 15 minutes.
• High-precision diagnostic method compared to other types of examination of the chest cavity.
• Thanks to automatic current modulation, the radiation load on the patient is minimized, which makes it possible to perform MSCT scans even several times a year (only on the recommendation of a doctor).

Doctors

Diagnostics

The St. Paraskeva Medical Center has a powerful radiology department with innovative diagnostic equipment of the highest world level.

One of them is a 128-slice computed tomograph of the expert level Toshiba Aquilon CX (Japan).

Preparation for MSCT of the chest cavity organs

MSCT of the chest cavity is performed using a contrast agent, which is injected into the patient's vessel during the examination. The contrast agent is filtered by the kidneys and removed from the body naturally. To determine whether the kidneys will cope with their function, before diagnosis, blood is taken for analysis of creatinine.

Before the examination, the nurse inserts a peripheral catheter into the patient's vessel and draws blood for this analysis, which lasts half an hour.

After that, the anesthesiologist conducts a conversation with the patient to determine his/her allergic history. If the patient has no contraindications and creatinine levels are within normal limits, he/she is referred to the computed tomography room for examination.

Examination

Before scanning, the patient removes outerwear and metal jewelry from the chest area to prevent artifacts from appearing in the images.

Immediately during the scan, the patient should lie still on the diagnostic table and follow commands to hold their breath.

The medical staff of the MSCT room informs the patient about the features and progress of the examination.

After the examination, the peripheral catheter is removed from the vessel, and a disposable patch is applied to the puncture site. At the end of the diagnosis, the patient dresses and waits for a CD with all the images obtained during the examination. The patient can receive the conclusion of the radiologist by e-mail or at the reception at the St. Paraskeva Medical Center.

Contraindications to CT scans

• pregnancy (at any stage);
• mental disorders;
• muscle spasms or cramps;
• allergic reaction to iodine;
• weight more than 125 kg.

St. Paraskeva Medical Center also performs chest and abdominal scans or chest, abdominal and pelvic scans as a screening to determine secondary spread in cancer pathology.