If endoscopic and colonoscopic examination does not provide the doctor with all the necessary information, CT of the stomach and intestines is prescribed. This is a completely painless procedure that gives the most accurate information about the condition of the internal organs. The results of a CT scan of the stomach are provided digitally or recorded in a three-dimensional image. Thus, the specialist can view the picture as many times as required, and this can be done from different angles. A very informative diagnostic method, and it's hard to argue with that.
What is a CT scan?
Before computed tomography appeared, doctors prescribed endoscopy or x-rays to diagnose gastrointestinal diseases. CT of the stomach is carried out using x-rays, and, therefore, the patient's body is exposed to radiation. But unlike x-rays, the image is not two, but three-dimensional, which is more informative and convenient for diagnosis.
The essence of the method is the implementation of a series of sequential shots of the area of interest to the doctor. They are made in different projections, as a result of which a single three-dimensional picture is created. The doctor can study the pictures separately, examining sections of organs up to 1 mm.
When is it necessary?
Any pathology and inflammation in the organs of the gastrointestinal tract lead to malfunctions of the human body, while the patient experiences various uncomfortable conditions, and in some cases pain. CT of the stomach is prescribed in the presence of the following symptoms:
epigastric pain;
heartburn;
nausea and vomiting;
skin rashes;
sour belching or painful belching with air;
weight reduction of the patient;
intestinal disorders that are accompanied by pain;
pain in the rectum;
constipation and diarrhea.
What does CT scan show?
What does a CT scan of the stomach show? With the help of this study, it is possible to assess the condition of all layers of the organ - serous, muscular, submucous and mucous. During the study, the specialist receives information about changes in the thickness of the stomach, its elasticity and folding. In addition, defects and seals can be visualized, which may indicate focal pathology. With the help of CT of the stomach, ailments are diagnosed, which are characterized by a narrowing of the lumen of the organ - stenosis, structure.
Also, this study is mandatory prescribed in the presence of neoplasms - both benign and malignant. In this case, the size of the tumor is clearly determined, how much it has grown into the walls of the organ, as well as its invasiveness in relation to other organs.
If necessary, the scope of the study can be expanded - other organs of the abdominal region are involved - the pancreas, liver, spleen, intestines. Such an expansion of CT in gastric cancer can provide a lot of additional information to the doctor. For example, about metastasis to regional lymph nodes or neighboring organs.
Depending on what the CT scan of the stomach shows, the doctor can make the most accurate diagnosis and prescribe the optimal treatment regimen.
Contraindications
A similar study has a number of contraindications. CT of the esophagus, stomach and intestines is not performed in the following cases:
overweight;
fear of confined space is a relative contraindication, since an open type tomograph can be found;
heart valve prosthesis;
cochlear implant;
insulin pump;
large-sized metal prostheses - bolts, plates;
pregnancy;
children under 18 years old. At an earlier age, this diagnostic method is advisable only if there is good evidence;
A CT scan of the stomach with contrast is not performed during lactation, as well as in the presence of thyroid diseases or in case of individual intolerance to an iodine-containing contrast agent.
Preparation
In order for the results of the study to be reliable and more informative, the procedure must be properly prepared. If the doctor prescribes the patient to have a CT scan of the stomach, he will definitely say that before the test you can neither eat nor drink, that is, the diagnosis is carried out on an empty stomach. The last meal and water before the examination should be at least 5 hours. Patients who must take the medicine at this time, it is recommended to drink it with a small amount of clean water.
When coming to the CT procedure, it is advisable to carry the results of previous studies, for example, x-rays, ultrasound or gastroscopy.
A few days before the study is recommended:
Reduce the use of foods that can increase gas production.
Take a sorbent (activated carbon) to reduce the amount of gas.
No other CT preparation is needed.
CT with contrast, PET and spiral CT
For CT with a contrast medium is used:
Iodine preparations are used when it is necessary to look at the vessels of an organ or to detect neoplasms, pneumoscanning (using an inert gas) allows you to get more clear signs of pathology, since the folding of the walls of the organ decreases.
PET / CT of the stomach is a positron emission tomography, which today is used infrequently to detect gastric oncology, since there are safer diagnostic methods. To conduct this study, a radiopharmaceutical is administered to the patient intravenously, after which the patient should lie in the relaxation room for about an hour so that the active substance is evenly distributed throughout the body. Then the doctor conducts the research procedure, and the patient can go home. The radiopharmaceutical is excreted from the body within 2 days.
Spiral CT is a scan that is performed when the table rotates with the patient. Thus, the study area increases, the examination time decreases, which means that the radiation load on the body decreases.
How is the procedure performed?
Despite the fact that the procedure is carried out using x-rays, the radiation is small, and there is practically no harm to the body.
Before the CT scan of the stomach cavity, the doctor asks the patient to remove their outer clothing and all metal objects that fall into the scan area. Then the patient is placed on his back on a drawer table. During the study, you should maintain a stationary body position and perform everything that the doctor says. The procedure does not cause absolutely any discomfort, and takes about 15 minutes, with a CT scan with contrast it will take half an hour.
What diseases are diagnosed?
Diseases and pathologies that are diagnosed with CT can be very different:
If, when examining the stomach, the specialist does not see any pathology, he can examine the organs located nearby.
CT is not performed for gastric ulcer, in this case, MRI is prescribed.
Possible consequences
If CT is performed with contrast, the patient may have an intestinal upset, as well as some malfunction in the digestive system. This lasts a short period of time, and very soon the functioning of the stomach is fully restored.
With intolerance to the contrast medium, the following can be observed:
Advantages and disadvantages of the method
The main advantage of the method is the identification of pathology in the early stages of development, when the characteristic symptoms of the disease did not appear yet and the disease did not take a chronic form. Computed tomography is an opportunity to examine in detail the organ under study, as well as determine the exact localization of the focus of the pathology.
The advantage of CT is painlessness, speed, lack of lengthy and complex preparation, obtaining clear images that provide the specialist with maximum information.
The disadvantage of the procedure is the impossibility of carrying out the procedure for patients whose weight exceeds 150 kg. However, there are currently models of tomographs that provide the opportunity to be examined for patients with high weight.
CT is not performed for gastric ulcer, as this can cause complications in the form of bleeding or organ perforation.
In addition, although in small quantities, the study uses radiation that can adversely affect human health, so it is not given to pregnant and lactating women.
Which is better - CT or MRI?
Many are interested in the question - which is better - CT or MRI of the stomach? We must start with the fact that these are fundamentally different methods. If CT is performed using x-ray radiation, then MRI is the effect of a magnetic field, which leads to a change in hydrogen atoms in the body, so MRI has limitations in use.
CT - advantages:
reveals lesions of the mucosa and the presence of polyps;
effective in the presence of large neoplasms;
visualizes abnormalities that occur outside the stomach and intestines;
diagnoses oncological processes in the early stages.
CT - disadvantages:
MRI - benefits:
MRI - disadvantages:
Therefore, the doctor chooses the research option, depending on what exactly you need to pay increased attention to.
CT is prescribed to detect neoplasms, the presence of metastases, hematomas and bleeding, to monitor the internal structures after surgery.
MRI is used to detect abnormalities of the internal organs and the vascular network of the organ, to detect foreign bodies in the large intestine.
Data decryption
It is impossible to independently decipher the results of the study. Therefore, after the pictures are in the patient’s hands, he must re-contact the doctor who referred him to CT.
Based on the results, a specialist can assess the condition of the stomach, as well as detect:
neoplasms;
vascular pathology;
liver pathology;
cystic neoplasms;
gallstones;
intestinal inflammation;
the presence of foreign bodies;
swollen lymph nodes;
bowel obstruction or bile ducts;
metastasis to other organs.
If, according to the results of CT, it turns out that there are a large number of gases in the stomach cavity, the doctor can make a diagnosis of gastric ulcer.
How often can the procedure be carried out?
Often, CT scans are not recommended. This is due to the use of x-rays in the study. In order not to exert a high radiation load on the body, a CT scan of the stomach is carried out no more than 3 times a year. If you need more frequent research, it is recommended to use more gentle methods - ultrasound, gastroscopy, colonoscopy, and so on.
You can undergo the CT procedure both in the clinic and in private medical centers where the necessary equipment is available. As for the price of this diagnostic procedure, it differs not only from the method of research, but also from the clinic. According to rough estimates, a CT scan of the abdominal cavity can cost from 3,500 to 4,000 rubles, and a CT scan with a contrast medium costs from 5,000 rubles. Of course, the study cannot be called cheap, but, given the quality of the diagnosis, it is not difficult to choose between money and health.