Abdominal CT Scan (whole abdomen)

A CT scan is performed to check for any abnormalities (such as tumour, infection or inflammation) related to the following organs in the abdominal area:

• Liver
• Spleen 
• Kidney 
• Bladder
• Stomach 
• Intestine 
• Pancreas 
• Adrenal gland (present on the top of kidneys)

Your healthcare provider may also order this test:

• To evaluate the effects of a traumatic injury to the abdomen
• To assess the cause of the following symptoms:
  • Abdominal pain
  • Blood in urine
  • Swollen belly
  • Fever
  • Abnormal blood reports of kidney or liver
• To check for internal bleeding inside the abdomen
• To guide biopsy procedures involving the abdomen
• To monitor radiation treatments or response to chemotherapies for abdominal tumours
• To plan and assess surgeries like an organ transplant

CT scans are usually safe. However, they should be avoided in case of:

• Pregnancy
• Total hip replacement surgery 
• Metallic objects in abdomen like surgical clips 
• A recent barium test
• Kidney failure

You will be asked to wear loose, comfortable clothes and remove all the metal objects or jewellery before the test. The hospital staff may give you a gown to wear for the test. 

Fasting may be needed for a few hours before the test, especially if a contrast dye is used. Convey to your doctor if you are pregnant or allergic to contrast dye. 

Let your doctor know if you have asthma, diabetes, kidney diseases or thyroid or heart disorders. Diabetic people may be suggested taking their medicines at least two days before the test.

Your healthcare provider will ask you to sign a consent form. This form includes all the information about the risks associated with contrast dye.

The following procedure is performed for a CT scan:

• You will be asked to lie down on the CT scanner table. During the test, this table will slide into the scanner. 
• If a contrast dye is required, it will be injected into a vein in your arm or given to you in the form of a liquid to swallow before the test. 
• The technologist will control the scanner from another room. He/she can communicate with you through the speakers inside the scanner. 
• As the scanning procedure begins, the machine will pass x-ray waves through your body. 
• The scanner will detect the x-rays absorbed by your body tissues and transfer them to an attached computer which will then interpret this data into images.
• The scan takes anywhere between 15 minutes to half an hour. 
• The technician will ask you to avoid movement during the scan as it may otherwise affect the final images. 
• If an intravenous line has been placed for administering the contrast dye, it will be removed after the scan.

CT scan is a quick and painless imaging test. However, you may feel uncomfortable remaining still for the procedure. You may feel cold due to the air-conditioning temperature inside the room. When a contrast dye is injected, there may be a brief headache, flushing sensation, metallic taste in the mouth or vomiting. A mildly unpleasant taste may be felt when the contrast dye is swallowed.

An abnormal result can indicate the following conditions: 

• Cancers:
  • Colon cancer
  • Ovarian cancer
  • Lymphoma
  • Hepatocellular carcinoma
  • Renal cell carcinoma/kidney cancer
  • Melanoma
  • Ureter cancer
  • Spread of cancer that began outside the abdomen
  • Pheochromocytoma (tumour of the adrenal gland tissue)
• Pancreatitis
• Alcoholic liver disease
• Blockage of bile duct
• Acute cholecystitis (sudden irritation and swelling in the gall bladder)
• Cholelithiasis
• Pancreatic abscess (formation of pus in the pancreas)
• Blockage of kidney
• Kidney stone
• Kidney infections
• Kidney damage
• Hydronephrosis (swelling in kidneys due to backward flow of urine)
• Appendicitis
• Crohn disease
• Bowel wall thickening
• Renal artery stenosis (narrowing of the blood vessels of the kidneys)
• Renal vein thrombosis

 The benefits of the CT scan are as follows:

• It is a non-invasive and painless procedure
• It can detect bones, blood vessels and soft tissues simultaneously

You can continue your regular diet and activities after the test. If a contrast dye is injected, your healthcare provider will check for any side effects such as itching, rash, swelling or difficulty in breathing. If you are consuming oral diabetic medicines, you may be asked to wait for 48 hours before resuming them.

Depending on the condition diagnosed, your doctor may order one of the following tests along with a CT scan of the whole abdomen:

• Colonoscopy
• Abdominal ultrasound
• Abdominal angiogram
• Abdominal x-ray
• Liver scan
• Pancreas scan

Disclaimer: All results must be clinically correlated with the patient’s complaints to make a complete and accurate diagnosis. The above information is provided from a purely educational point of view and is in no way a substitute for medical advice by a qualified doctor.