Advanced CT Applications

The clarity and accuracy of images produced by CT scanners have enabled CT to become one of the most widespread modalities for diagnostic imaging. In 1998, 26.3 million CT procedures were performed in the United States alone, based on a census survey of 90% of the nation’s imaging centers.1 This represents a 16% increase over the 1996 survey result. It was estimated that the number of CT procedures is currently more than 80 million per year in the United States.124 Many books are dedicated to the subject of the clinical utility of CT scanners, and these books cover different types of recommended clinical protocols for various human anatomies.2–5 The goal of this chapter is not to replicate or summarize these protocols; instead, this chapter addresses new clinical applications that have evolved in recent years and have had a significant impact on the CT scanner design.