Computerized tomography is a sophisticated diagnostic imaging procedure capable of depicting anatomy at different levels within the body. This ability, known as cross-sectional imaging, is possible because the X-ray source rotates around the patient during a CT scan, encircling the patient's body and capturing anatomical detail from many angles. Each rotation of the X-ray beam produces a single cross-sectional "slice" of anatomy, like the slices in a loaf of bread. Computerized tomography allows physicians to see a single slice of the body, just as if you were taking a slice of bread out of a loaf. Using this technology, physicians can view the inside of anatomic structures, a feat not possible with general radiology.
CT imaging is particularly useful because it can show several types of tissue - lung, bone, soft tissue, and blood vessels, with great clarity. Using specialized equipment and expertise to create and interpret CT scans of the body, radiologists can more easily diagnose problems such as cancers, cardiovascular disease, trauma and musculoskeletal disorders.
