Computer Tomography (CT), or CAT Scan

Payson Regional Medical Center uses highly sophisticated, 16 and 40 slice units to obtain image information from different angles around the body. The computer processes the information in just seconds to show a cross-section of body tissues and organs.

CT imaging is useful because it can image various types of tissue -- lung, bone, soft tissue and blood vessels -- with immense precision. Using specialized equipment and expertise to create and evaluate CT scans of the body, radiologists can fluently diagnose abnormalities such as cancers, cardiovascular disease, infectious disease, trauma and musculoskeletal disorders.
Because it makes available detailed, cross-sectional examination of all types of tissue, CT is one of the finest tools for investigating the chest and abdomen. It is one of the favored methods for detecting various cancers, including lung, liver and pancreatic cancer, because the image permits a doctor to verify the presence of a tumor and measure its size, precise location, and the extent of the tumor's involvement with other nearby tissue. CT examinations are often used to guide biopsies and other minimally invasive procedures, and to plan surgeries.

CT can reveal even extremely diminutive bones, as well as immediate tissues such as muscle and blood vessels, making it invaluable in diagnosing and treating spinal problems and injuries to affected skeletal structures. In cases of extreme trauma, CT can quickly identify injuries to internal organs. CT can also play a significant role in the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of vascular diseases that can lead to stroke, kidney failure, or death.