Patient LoginMost Americans have heard of the ultrasound and CT Scan (CT stands for Computed Tomography). These are two very popular medical tools that used for creating images that doctors use for various diagnostic purposes. While they are very widely used, they are not the same; each has its own way of doing its job.
Here are some of the main differences between the two:
A CT Scan will usually cost more than an ultrasound procedure, and the time it takes to complete a CT Scan will be shorter, about 5 minutes. A routine ultrasound can be completed in about 15 minutes.
With a CT Scan there is some slight radiation exposure. The amount of exposure is about the same as what you might get from 3 years of background radiation. For this reason, children and women who are pregnant are not routinely given CT Scans.
There is no radiation exposure with the use of ultrasounds. These devices work by using high-frequency sound waves to map out the image.
Ultrasounds are very good at doing what they were designed to do, but they do have limitations. For instance, they are not normally ordered for images of any bone structures. They are, however, often used to image internal organs and often used in prenatal care.
CT Scans, on the other hand, can be used to image (in great detail) soft tissue, bone, and blood vessels, and do all of this at the same time. It does this by creating a 3-D picture of the target area by putting together multiple images of the same area taken from different angles. This “layering” effect is put through a computer that adjusts and clarifies these many images into a single high-definition image that can be used by the medical team.
Because each device is able to do a different kind imaging, each has its own advantages. For instance, the CT is much better at screening for certain types of cancer tumors and finding various abnormalities within the body. Also, CT can be used with other screening techniques like MRI’s to further enhance its accuracy and definition. Ultrasound is often used to image muscles, internal organs, tendons, etc. It is especially good at determining the size of organs and tissues as well as finding lesions and other problems. In terms of procedures, ultrasound is used in prenatal care, removal of gall stones, kidney stones, and many other types of medical applications.
In both cases, CT and ultrasound are often preferable over regular x-rays. The CT offers a much better image and it can be directed precisely at a target area. And because it is an image of many different angles, the doctor has a better view of the target area over a flat x-ray exposure. In both cases, having better views of the target area often means that fewer other medical procedures have to be used in order to get the same information. This can be very important when treating persons with certain types of cancers.