Need an Imaging Test or Body Scan? Here’s a Picture of What to Expect
Posted February 05, 2024
When healthcare providers need to see inside your body, the type of imaging test they recommend will depend on your injury or condition. Each modality is unique, creating imagery based on distinct technology and equipment, and offers a different purpose and set of advantages for making an accurate diagnosis.
For instance, if doctors need to check for a concussion, a CT scan is the best option for your exam. But if you suspect a broken bone, X-Ray is the better choice.
Medical imaging creates pictures of tissues, bones and organs inside your body. Your healthcare provider may order one or multiple tests in order to help them diagnose, assess conditions and rule out certain medical complications.
If a medical imaging exam has been ordered for you, knowing the differences and purpose of each type can help ease your mind so you can keep the focus on getting better.
Summa Health breaks down what you can expect from common imaging technologies, including X-Rays, CT scans, MRIs and ultrasounds. While some of these tests can make patients anxious, the good news is diagnostic imaging is non-invasive, painless and highly effective.
CT scan
A CT scan, sometimes referred to as a CAT scan, stands for computed tomography. A CT scan uses advanced technology to create three-dimensional X-Rays. Instead of a single beam, this scan uses a series of X-Ray images taken from many different angles to create 360-degree pictures of bones, soft tissue, organs and blood vessels. While CT scans use more radiation than X-Rays, they are much more detailed and offer greater information in making accurate diagnoses.
If you have concerns about the amount of radiation exposure in a CT scan, ask your healthcare provider whether the test is needed and if it’s the best one to use in your case. You may also want to know what you and your healthcare provider can expect to learn from it.
Dense structures in the body, such as bones, show up more easily in pictures. To help highlight softer tissues, patients may be given a contrast dye to drink or injected through an IV to sharpen images.
During a CT scan, you will lie on a table, which passes through a hole in the donut-shaped machine. The X-Ray tube rotates around you to take pictures. A CT scan is faster than an MRI and typically takes about 10 to 15 minutes.
CT scans are used to more accurately diagnose acute injuries, such as bone fractures, heart disease, vascular conditions, infections or even determining the exact size and location of tumors. They also can be used to guide biopsies and medical procedures.
MRI
MRI, which stands for magnetic resonance imaging, uses powerful magnets with radio frequencies to create three-dimensional images of internal body structures, such as muscles, joints, cartilage and other soft tissues, without the use of radiation. MRI scans offer more detailed imagery of internal soft tissue structures than CT scans.
During an MRI scan, you will lie on a table that slides into a tube inside the MRI machine. The tube, which is narrower and deeper than a CT scanner, rotates around you during the test and you may hear loud tapping or thumping noises from the magnets. Scans can take up to 30 minutes or more to complete and you must remain still during that time.
Typically, MRI scans are used to detect and diagnose diseases and sports injuries. They also can detect abnormalities, cancerous and benign growths, strokes, aneurysms, spinal cord injuries, eye problems and more.
Sometimes your provider orders an MRI with contrast, which is injected into your arm intravenously. The contrast medium enhances the image quality and allows the radiologist more accuracy and confidence in their diagnosis.
Ultrasound
Ultrasounds, also known as sonograms, are used for quick visualization of soft tissues, such as internal organs and structure, muscles, or to visualize blood flow through blood vessels and arteries. Ultrasound imaging uses high frequency sound waves and their echoes to create pictures or a live video feed of inside the body. Since images are captured in real-time, ultrasound can show movement, such as blood flow and fetal movement.
To perform an ultrasound, a probe is placed directly on the skin or inside the body to capture images. A thin layer of gel is applied to the skin to prevent air pockets from forming, which can block ultrasound waves from passing into the body. An ultrasound can take 30 minutes or longer.
Because ultrasound does not use radiation, it’s safe for pregnant individuals and is an important tool for monitoring fetal development during pregnancy. Ultrasound also is effective for assessing abdominal organs, breasts, heart and blood flow problems, and the reproductive and musculoskeletal systems. Providers also use ultrasound to guide biopsies and procedures.
X-Ray
X-Rays use electromagnetic radiation to produce images of the body. During an X-Ray, radiation passes through the body onto an X-Ray film or digital sensors that create the image. Since various tissues of the body absorb X-Rays differently, doctors can easily differentiate between bones, skin and muscle tissue. Bones, for example, absorb more radiation and therefore, show up well on X-Rays and can clearly depict breaks and fractures.
During an X-Ray, you will be asked to either stand or lie down between two pieces of equipment: one to send the radiation and the other contains digital sensors to create the image. The test usually takes about 10 to 15 minutes, and you may be asked to move into several positions.
X-Rays are quick and inexpensive, and most commonly used to diagnose bone disease, such as osteoporosis, breaks and fractures, dislocations, infections, digestive tract issues and more. They also can be used as a screening tool to rule out conditions.
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