If you’re suffering from certain ailments or presenting certain symptoms, your healthcare provider may need to turn to imaging to help hone in on the correct diagnosis. In many cases, that may be a pelvis CT scan. Wondering what these scans do? Who they can help? And when they’re useful? Then, check out this quick guide to pelvic scans.
What Is a Pelvis CT Scan?
CT stands for computer tomography. Similar to an x-ray, these scans create computerized images of areas that your doctor cannot see. In this case, these scans create pictures of the internal organs, bones, soft tissues, and even the blood vessels in your pelvic area.
When Do Physicians Prescribe CT Scans?
If you’re suffering from pain in your pelvis or if your doctors suspect that you have certain issues, they may suggest a CT pelvic scan. These scans can be used to gather more information and diagnose the following conditions:
- Pelvic infections
- Inflammatory bowel diseases
- Cancers in the pelvic region
- Injuries to organs in the pelvic region
What Type of Pelvic Infections Can You Diagnose With a CT Scan?
With the images from a pelvis CT scan, your doctor can see if there is fluid collected in that area. In particular, the doctor can see abscesses. They can also see whether or not you have infections such as appendicitis, pyelonephritis, or pelvic inflammatory disease.
Can Doctors Diagnose Serious Diseases With CT Scans?
Some of the most serious diseases that a doctor can diagnose with a pelvis CT scan include colitis, Crohn’s disease, pancreatitis, or cirrhosis of the liver. These tests can also be helpful in diagnosing a range of cancers in that area including cancer that affects the liver, kidneys, ovaries, bladder, uterus, and pancreas. If you have lymphoma, this type of scan can also help with that diagnosis.
Are CT Scans Used in Medical Procedures?
CT scans don’t just help doctors with diagnosing illnesses. They can also be useful in treating a number of conditions. If you have cancer, your doctor may use the scans to help plan the best course of action for the radiation treatments. The scans can also be helpful for planning biopsies or organ transplants.
How Do You Prepare for a Pelvis CT Scan?
Before getting a CT scan, make sure that your doctor knows about all your health conditions. In particular, you usually should not get a CT scan if you are pregnant. Conditions such as diabetes, asthma, and thyroid issues may also make these scans less effective.
If you decide to move forward, don’t drink or eat anything for a few hours before the scan. Excess liquid in your bladder can get in the way of the scan. So you’re comfortable, you may want to wear loose clothing. Also, you may need to take out hearing aids, dentures, or similar removable metallic devices so that they don’t affect the computerized tomography scan.
Dealing with medical issues can be scary, and at AHI, we strive to make the process as comfortable and compassionate as possible. We also know that you need fast results so that you can focus on treatment instead of waiting. We offer all of that in our offices. Contact us to set up an appointment today.