A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine 
National Institutes of Health
CT Scans
Also called: CAT scan
Computed tomography (CT) is a diagnostic procedure that uses special X-ray equipment to create cross-sectional pictures of your body. CT images are produced using X-ray technology and powerful computers.
The uses of CT include looking for
- Broken bones
- Cancers
- Blood clots
- Signs of heart disease
- Internal bleeding
During a CT scan, you lie still on a table. The table slowly passes through the center of a large X-ray machine. The test is painless. During some tests you receive a contrast dye, which makes parts of your body show up better in the image.
NIH: National Cancer Institute
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Start Here
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CAT Scan
(Patient Education Institute)
- Also available in Spanish
- What is Computed Tomography?(Food and Drug Administration)
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CAT Scan
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Learn More
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The bottom row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Research
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Reference Shelf
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For You
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Overviews
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Computed Tomography (CT): Questions and Answers(National Cancer Institute)
- CT Scan(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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Computed Tomography (CT): Questions and Answers
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Latest News
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Children and CT Concerns
(10/09/2012, HealthDay)
- CT Scans of Kids in ER with Stomach Pain Skyrockets(10/08/2012, HealthDay)
- 3-D Imaging Might Make Some Surgeries Safer(09/12/2012, HealthDay)
- 2 Tests May Improve Heart Patients' Care, Studies Suggest(08/21/2012, HealthDay)
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Heart CT Scans May Help Emergency Room Personnel More Quickly Assess Patients with Chest Pain(07/25/2012, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
- More News on CT Scans
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Children and CT Concerns
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Prevention/Screening
- Full-Body CT Scans - What You Need to Know(Food and Drug Administration)
- Whole-Body CT Screening--Should I or Shouldn't I Get One?(Food and Drug Administration)
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Specific Conditions
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Cardiac CT(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
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Chest CT Scan(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
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Coronary Calcium Scan(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
- CT -- Abdomen and Pelvis(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America)
- Also available in Spanish
- CT -- Body(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America)
- Also available in Spanish
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CT -- Head(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America)
- Also available in Spanish
- CT Angiography (CTA)(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America)
- Also available in Spanish
- CT Colonography (Virtual Colonoscopy)(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America)
- Also available in Spanish
- CT Enterography(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America)
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CT of the Sinuses(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America)
- Also available in Spanish
- CT of the Spine(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America)
- Also available in Spanish
- SPECT (Single-Photon Emission Computerized Tomography) Scan(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Urography(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America)
- Also available in Spanish
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Virtual Colonoscopy(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
- Also available in Spanish
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Cardiac CT
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Related Issues
- Contrast Materials(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America)
- Also available in Spanish
- CT Scans: Are They Safe?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Doses from Medical Radiation Sources(Health Physics Society)
- Medical and Dental Patient Issues(Health Physics Society)
- What Are the Radiation Risks from CT?(Food and Drug Administration)
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Tutorials
- CAT Scan(Patient Education Institute)
- Also available in Spanish
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Videos
- Getting a CAT Scan(Nemours Foundation)
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Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Tomography, X-Ray Computed(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Tomography, X-Ray Computed
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Research
- Emergency Department CT Exams of Children Have Increased Substantially(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America)
- Screening for Colon Cancer by Using a Computed Tomographic Scan without a Laxative(American College of Physicians) - PDF
- Using CT, Radiologists Can Pinpoint Cause of Some Strokes(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America)
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
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Dictionaries/Glossaries
- RadiologyInfo: Glossary of Terms(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America)
- Also available in Spanish
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Directories
- American College of Radiology Accredited Facility Search(American College of Radiology)
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Organizations
- Food and Drug Administration
- RadiologyInfo(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America)
- Also available in Spanish
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Children
- Children's (Pediatric) CT (Computed Tomography)(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America)
- Also available in Spanish
- Frequently Asked Questions - Parents(Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging)
- Keeping Kids Still during Exams(American Society of Radiologic Technologists) - PDF - In English and Spanish
- What Parents Should Know about CT Scans for Children(Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging) - PDF
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You may also be interested in these related encyclopedia pages:
MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA
Languages
CT Scans - Multiple Languages
