Technology gives crisp pictures of the body’s inner workings

By David Biscobing

A decade or two ago, if your doctor had said, “Let’s take a peek inside,” you would have known you were facing exploratory surgery. But today, advances in imaging technology let doctors explore the inner workings of your body in precise detail without even touching a scalpel. Here are some of the imaging studies UAB is using to help see you from the inside out.

Multidetector-helical CT (computed tomography) scanners work with beams of radiation like traditional X-rays, but they provide high-resolution displays of the body that can be rotated and viewed in any direction, allowing doctors to diagnose a broad variety of conditions throughout the entire body. “We can now create 3-D images of any organ system within the body in just seconds,” explains Franklin Tessler, M.D., chief of body imaging at UAB. “The new scanners let us produce clear, detailed pictures in just a single breath.”

CT angiography (CTA) combines X-rays with computerized images to help doctors visualize blood flow in arteries and veins throughout the body. Doctors use CTA to check for aneurysms and other conditions that affect blood flow to vital organs. “This allows doctors to see how blood is moving to and from the brain, heart, lungs, kidneys, arms and legs,” says UAB radiologist and director of cardiac CT Satinder Singh, M.D. Compared with older methods, Dr. Singh says CTA is less invasive and a much more patient-friendly procedure.

Positron emission tomography (PET) and CT are two scans used together to detect cancer inside the body. First, PET is used to detect abnormal cancer-like cells while CT scans later create an anatomic picture to show exactly where the abnormal cells are. “Together PET and CT pinpoint the tumor and create a comprehensive picture that allows us to diagnose and treat the patient,” says UAB radiologist Lincoln Berland, M.D. “We can see exactly where the cancer is located and how big it is in less than 30 minutes.” To learn more about PET CT scans, log on to uabhealth.org/petct.

Cardiac CT is a leading-edge imaging technology that detects and pinpoints plaque calcium buildup in the coronary arteries—a newly recognized risk factor for heart attack. “This fast imaging method virtually freezes the heart’s motion and provides us with images of the heart and arteries with detail and clarity never seen before,” Dr. Singh says. “It takes a single breath-hold and only 10 seconds for a complete heart scan.”