What Is a Thoracic CT Scan?

CT of the chest is a method of examining the chest by computed tomography (CT). There are many CT slices in normal chest, and the images of each slice are different. If there are no abnormalities, the doctor will write in the report form that the plain lung window shows that the texture of the two lungs is clear, there is no abnormality in the distribution of the lungs, and there is no exudation or occupying lesions in the lung parenchyma.

Chest CT

CT of the chest is through X-rays

Clinical significance of chest CT

1. Chest wall: Asbestos lungs with thickening of the pleura can be found on the chest radiograph; if pleural effusion, small pleural nodules or masses are found, which is helpful for the diagnosis of metastases and mesothelioma; according to the CT value of the pleural masses It can identify encapsulating effusion, localized mesothelioma, and extrapleural lipoma; CT enhancement can be used to diagnose hemangioma of the chest wall; rib fractures and rib destruction can be well displayed.

2. Lungs: It is valuable for the early diagnosis of peripheral lung cancer; it is helpful to diagnose central lung cancer when it is found that the main bronchi, lung bronchus, and lung bronchi are narrow or truncated; high-resolution CT (HRCT) may show that chest radiographs cannot show Diffuse interstitial lesions are helpful for early diagnosis and differential diagnosis. It can also find pulmonary alveoli, bronchiectasis, smaller tuberculosis cavities that cannot be displayed on the chest radiograph.

3. Mediastinum: You can find enlarged lymph nodes that cannot be found on chest radiographs, which can help the qualitative diagnosis of mediastinal masses based on CT value and location of the mass; it can also be used to identify fatty, cystic, and solid masses. Enhanced scanning can Pulmonary aneurysms and aortic aneurysms were diagnosed.

4. CT angiography can be used for pulmonary arterial angiography, which shows better branches of pulmonary arteries above subsegments, and can be used for the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism.

5. CT virtual endoscopy can display segmental bronchi and subsegmental bronchi without damage, and can observe lesions from bronchonasal nasal obstruction and narrow distal end; at the same time, it can display multi-directional extra-luminal anatomical structure, and it can be accurate for extra-wall tumors Locate and determine its scope.

6.CT is a tomographic scan and has a density resolution 10 times higher than that of a chest radiograph. It can easily find tiny nodules with a diameter less than 2mm.

Significance of chest CT scan

1. It helps to make a qualitative diagnosis of the problems found on X-ray chest radiographs: Mass: (1) Identify the mass as cystic, parenchymal, fatty, or calcified; (2) Identify the location and extent of the mass, and identify the mass Associated with the anatomy of the mediastinum.

2. According to clinical needs, undetected hidden sources of X-ray chest radiographs can be detected: (1) The existence of micrometastomas can be identified, and the existence of tumors, their location, size, and number can be displayed in order to formulate a treatment plan. (2) CT-guided percutaneous biopsy allows histological diagnosis of certain masses. (3) X-ray chest X-ray and fiber bronchoscopy are negative, while sputum tumor cells are positive, CT should be used to identify the source of the tumor in the lung.

3. The extent and morphology of CT for bronchial infiltration and stenosis is inferior to X-ray tomography, and more inferior to bronchography. ^[1]