Computed Tomography (CT) scans are a type of diagnostic imaging study that physicians use to help them diagnose certain medical conditions. CT scans can be conducted on any part of your body. Your head or brain is one of the common areas that a doctor may want to have studied with a CT scan. Here is what to expect from it.
What Is A Head CT Scan?
A head CT scan is a study that creates three-dimensional pictures of your head. Each picture is referred to as a “slice.” Advanced computed tomography scanners can take anywhere from 4 – 320 slices during a single study. The more slices a CT scan can capture, the higher quality the images will be. A head CT scan will produce images of your skull, brain, sinuses, eye sockets, and more. These images can diagnose a wide range of medical conditions.
What Does It Show?
The images captured by a head CT scan will show the various bones in your skull. These images are analyzed to rule out potential medical conditions and to plan out treatments if necessary. When it comes to producing images of your head, physicians prefer magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans over CT scans. MRI scans have an easier time producing high-quality images of the head since it is comprised of mostly soft tissue.
However, certain MRI machines cannot accommodate patients that have metallic implants such as a pacemaker. When medical implants in the patient are present, the head CT scan will come into play. For patients without medical implants, an MRI scan may be conducted after your CT scan to ensure the highest quality of images is captured. Many of our office locations have MRI capabilities to accommodate patients with cardiac devices such as pacemakers.
Why Did My Doctor Order A Head CT Scan?
Your physician ordered a head CT scan to identify and rule out certain medical conditions. Here are a few symptoms that may cause your physician to order a CT scan:
- Brain Fog
- Dizziness
- Fainting
- Headaches
- Hearing loss
- Vision loss
There are many medical conditions that can cause these symptoms to occur. CT scans can help diagnose medical conditions including:
- Aneurysms
- Brain tumors
- Brain infections
- Dementia
- Internal bleeding
- Strokes
If a patient suffers a physical head injury such as a concussion, a physician will order a CT scan right after it occurs. A CT scan can be conducted a lot quicker than a head MRI scan, so it is very useful in emergency situations.
South Jersey Radiology Associates (SJRA) offers 11 convenient and comfortable locations across the South Jersey area that can perform diagnostic and advanced imaging scans. If you are ready to schedule your CT scan appointment, visit any of the following locations:
- Haddonfield Office – Haddonfield, NJ
- Marlton (Greentree) Office – Marlton, NJ
- Medford Office – Medford, NJ
- Moorestown Office – Moorestown, NJ
- Mount Laurel Office – Mount Laurel, NJ
- Route 73 (Voorhees) Office – Voorhees Township, NJ
- Turnersville Office – Turnersville, NJ
- Voorhees (Carnie Blvd) Office – Voorhees Township, NJ
- Sewell (Washington Twp) Office – Sewell, NJ
- West Deptford Office – West Deptford, NJ
- Willingboro Office – Willingboro, NJ
Frequently Asked Questions
A head CT scan is a diagnostic imaging study that creates three-dimensional pictures (slices) of your head. It captures images of your skull, brain, sinuses, eye sockets, and more to help your doctor diagnose various medical conditions.
A head CT scan shows the bones in your skull and helps rule out potential medical conditions. While MRIs are preferred for producing high-quality images of the head’s soft tissue, CT scans are used when patients have metallic artifacts or in time-sensitive situations.
Your doctor ordered a head CT scan to identify and rule out certain medical conditions associated with symptoms like brain fog, dizziness, fainting, headaches, hearing loss, and vision loss. CT scans help diagnose conditions such as aneurysms, brain tumors, brain infections, dementia, internal bleeding, and strokes. They are also useful for evaluating head injuries like concussions.
Yes, for patients without medical implants, an MRI scan may be conducted after a CT scan to ensure the highest quality of images is captured. However, CT scans are particularly useful when patients have metallic implants such as pacemakers that cannot be accommodated by certain MRI machines.
South Jersey Radiology offers convenient and comfortable locations across the South Jersey area for diagnostic and advanced imaging scans. You can schedule your CT scan appointment at any of the following locations:
• Haddonfield Office – Haddonfield, NJ
• Marlton (Greentree) Office – Marlton, NJ
• Medford Office – Medford, NJ
• Moorestown Office – Moorestown, NJ
• Mount Laurel Office – Mount Laurel, NJ
• Route 73 (Voorhees) Office – Voorhees Township, NJ
• Turnersville Office – Turnersville, NJ
• Voorhees (Carnie Blvd) Office – Voorhees Township, NJ
• Sewell (Washington Twp) Office – Sewell, NJ
• West Deptford Office – West Deptford, NJ
• Willingboro Office – Willingboro, NJ
Our board-certified, sub-specialized radiologists read and interpret all CT scan images. You can learn more about them by visiting our physicians’ profiles.