What a Chest CT Scan Can Reveal About Your Lungs
A chest CT scan is a detailed imaging study created from multiple X-ray images taken from different angles around your upper body. When the CT images are combined, they give your doctor a 3D model of the inside of your chest that is more detailed than a traditional X-ray. While a chest X-ray can show all the structures inside the body, a CT scan focuses on the lungs and chest specifically, which improves diagnosis and guided treatment efforts for different conditions.
Chest CT Scans: What to Know
CT scans can help your doctor diagnose a number of different conditions, and a chest CT scan gives your doctor a clearer view of what’s happening in your chest so they can better diagnose or rule out lung diseases and conditions. Your doctor will order a chest CT scan to specifically look for abnormalities in your chest.
Chest CT scans provide a comprehensive view of the lungs and different types of structures surrounding the lungs, heart and chest cavity, including bones, tissue and blood vessels—all in a single image. This imaging test can help your doctor diagnose a number of different lung diseases and conditions, including:
- Bronchitis
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Emphysema
- Excess fluid in or near the lungs
- Infection or inflammation
- Lung cancer
- Pneumonia
- Pulmonary embolism or other conditions that result in an interruption of blood flow to the lungs
- Pulmonary hypertension
- Scarring of the lungs
- Tuberculosis
When a Chest CT scan is beneficial
Your doctor might order this scan if you’re experiencing lung-related chest pain, shortness of breath or a lingering cough. During a chest CT scan, you will lie still on a table while the CT scanner rotates around you, taking pictures of your lungs and soft tissues of your chest.
In some cases, contrast dye is used to highlight specific areas so the image from the scan will be easier for your doctor to read and evaluate. The images your doctor sees from the scan can also help determine the best course of treatment for your condition.
Cost of a chest CT scan
CT scans can cost anywhere from $270 to $5,000, depending on the facility you use and where you live. The type of scan also determines the price, as some CT scans involve a more complex process and analysis.
If you have health insurance, you usually only pay part of the total amount, depending on your insurance carrier and if you have met your deductible for the year. Uninsured patients are responsible for the total cost of the scan.
The price of your scan can vary widely based on the facility you use. Using a stand-alone facility that focuses solely on scans, like American Health Imaging (AHI), rather than a hospital will save you money on your scan.
Choose American Health Imaging For your imaging scans
AHI’s professional technologists use the latest in high-quality equipment in an easy-to-navigate environment with plenty of parking. AHI has numerous convenient locations across Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina and Texas, so you can choose a location that’s close by for your chest CT scan or any other imaging scan you need.
Learn more about CT scans and schedule an appointment at the AHI location nearest you.