Computed Tomography (CT Scan)

Computed Tomography (CT) allows us to acquire and reconstruct images of a thin section (often called a slice) of a body part, eliminating the superimposition of structures that occur in conventional radiography. CT is also approximately 10 times more sensitive to any subtle x-ray attenuation compared to radiology.

The basic technology behind CT consists in an x-ray tube that turns around the patient within a gantry. Opposed to the x-ray beam, there is a row of detectors (single or multiple). Images can be produced via axial or spiral acquisition. During axial acquisition, an image is acquired, then the table moves and a second image is acquired, and so on. With spiral CT, also called helical CT, there is a continuous acquisition of the images as the patient moves through the gantry; the speed being constant throughout the scan.

Recent developments in CT have brought the technology called multidetector scanner. This generation allows the acquisition of 2, 4, 8, 16 or more slices simultaneously depending on how many rows of detectors the scanner has. It offers the capability of creating thinner or thicker sections (slices) from the same raw data and consequently 3D reconstruction with minimal artifacts.

Since acquiring a multidetector CT scanner, we have been able to provide high-resolution images much faster than previously, reducing tremendously the anesthesia time for the patients.