Advance CT Imaging

advance ct imaging

Advances in CT technology has produced a 64-slice Multidetector scanner enabling greater sharpness, diagnostic detail and clarity. This increases the diagnostic confidence and expands the spectrum of clinical application.

ct angiogram

Coronary CTA is a non-invasive heart-imaging technique using CT scanner to determine either fatty deposits or calcium deposits have built up in the coronary arteries. The coronary arteries supply blood to the heart muscle. If left untreated, this build-up of plaque will cause heart muscle disease.

One of the most common heart tests is the coronary angiogram. This test is invasive. In an invasive coronary, a catheter is usually inserted into the blood vessel in the upper thigh, and then maneuvered up to the coronary arteries. Contrast medium is then injected via the catheter and images are captured using X-rays. Coronary CTA is a new technology that consistently demonstrates the ability to rule out significant narrowing of the coronary arteries and can non-invasively detect “plaque” or coronary stenosis.

Advantages of 64-slice CT angiogram as compared to invasive angiogram

  • Better depiction of coronary anomalies
  • Non-invasive
  • More cost-effective
  • Clear visualization of calcium deposits and plaque morphology
  • Better delineation of stenoses
  • True 3D imaging
  • One-stop analysis – coronary arteries, valves, ventricular analysis, myocardial mass, plaque morphology, lung parenchyma

The most important step is to consult your primary physician as to whether you should consider a Coronary CTA.

Some of the indications for CTA are:

  • High-risk profiles for coronary arteries disease
  • Atypical chest pain
  • Unclear or inclusive stress-test (treadmill test) results
  • Assessment of grafts or stents in coronary artery for patency
  • To evaluate for coronary anomaly

Coronary Calcium Screening CT

Coronary Calcium Screening CT is a non-invasive imaging procedure that identifies early calcification or plaque buildup in the arteries. Early calcium or plaque deposits clogging the heart's blood vessels are usually symptom free and do not have any warning signs, but may put a person at risk for heart attack. Coronary Calcium Screening CT takes precise images of the heart as it pumps, detecting vessel abnormalities without invasive procedures.

You should consider Coronary Calcium Screening CT if you have the following indications:

  • Men over age 45
  • Women over age 45
  • Current or former smokers
  • A family history of heart disease
  • High cholesterol
  • High blood pressure
  • Overweight
  • Diabetes

Lung Cancer Screening Ct

Lung Cancer Screening CT is performed on patients who are at risk for lung cancer, but do not have signs or symptoms of lung disease. It is an excellent screening test for lung cancer and can detect tumours missed by chest X-ray.

You should consider Lung Cancer Screening Ct if you have the following indications:

  • Men/women 50 years of age or older
  • Current or former smokers
  • Exposure or possible exposure to asbestos
  • Family history of lung cancer

Full body screening

Full body screening is a non-invasive, painless procedure that uses low-dose X-rays to screen the body from the brain to the pelvis for various diseases of the major organs. Full body screening can detect heart, lung, musculoskeletal, endocrine, prostate, ovarian diseases as well as tumours, aneurysms, hernias, kidney and gall stones. Full body scanning is performed on multidetector computed tomography (CT) scanner. This study provides both 2-dimensional (2D) and 3-dimensional (3D) images of all types tissue, allowing for more accurate detection of various cancers and diseases before symptoms occur.

You should consider full body screening if you have the following indications:

  • Over age 35, especially those at high risk for several diseases
  • Current or former smokers
  • Full body scanning should not be substituted for physical examination by a family physician, but should be used as compliment to regular medical care

Virtual colonoscopy

Virtual colonoscopy does not involve scopes, sedation, recovery time, or a prescription from your doctor. It is performed on a multidetector computed tomography (CT) scanner which takes up to 600 2-dimension (2D) and 3-dimension (3D) images of the colon in just 30 seconds. The combination of 2d and 3D images increases the radiologist's ability to detect and analyze areas of concern. The 3D images allow the radiologist to reconstruct the colon and do a "fly-through" of its entire length, simulating the views of conventional colonoscopy.

You should consider Virtual colonoscopy if you have the following indications:

  • 50 years or older AND had one or more of the following:
  • History of adenomatous polyps
  • Recent sigmoidoscopic evidence of one or more polyps
  • A positive finding on fecal occult-blood testing or
  • A history of colorectal cancer in one or more first-degree relatives