CT Neck (Soft Tissue)
-When
performing a CT Neck (Soft Tissue) exam, it is important to utilize
angling of the gantry to avoid streak artifacts from the patient. From
the orbits through the hard palate, the gantry should be angled
parallel to the hard palate. Once through the hard palate, the gantry
may be angled parallel to the body of the mandible.
-If
possible, the patient should be instructed to stop swallowing during
the imaging and breathe softly. Failure to comply with these
instructions could result in suboptimal images from patient motion.
-When
contrast is clinically indicated, the bolus should be injected with a
delay of 45 to 90 seconds. The thyroid gland is typically hyperdense due
to its iodine concentration, administration of iodine contrast
increases the density
Patient Patient Position -Supine Patient Prep -IV placement -Contrast-80-125mL Clinical Indicators -Mass, infection, abscess, swollen glands, cysts, goiter | Technical Scan Range -From mid orbit to clavicle Algorithm -Soft tissue Slice Thickness 3mm-5mm Reformats -Coronal – Sagittal |