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As with any test that screens for disease, the risks of full-body CT scans need to be weighed against the benefit of identifying a treatable disease at an early stage. [6] An alternative to a full-body CT scan may be Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. MRI scans are generally more expensive than CT but do not expose the patient to ionizing ...
The currently used low dose CT scan results in a radiation exposure of about 2 millisieverts (equal to roughly 20 two-view chest x-rays). [11] It has been estimated that radiation exposure from repeated screening studies could induce cancer formation in a small percentage of screened subjects, so this risk should be mitigated by a (relatively ...
CT scans alone, which account for half the medical imaging dose to the public, are estimated to be responsible for 0.4% of current cancers in the United States, and this may increase to as high as 1.5-2% with 2007 rates of CT usage; [8] however, this estimate is disputed. [9]
The risks of CT scan radiation are especially important in patients undergoing recurrent CT scans within a short time span of one to five years. [ 157 ] [ 158 ] [ 159 ] Some experts note that CT scans are known to be "overused," and "there is distressingly little evidence of better health outcomes associated with the current high rate of scans."
A concern is the potential for CT to contribute to radiation-induced cancer and in 2007 it was estimated that 0.4% of current cancers in the United States were due to CTs performed in the past, and that in the future this figure may rise to 1.5–2% based on historical rates of CT usage. [59]
However, there are no absolute contraindications to iodinated contrast, so the benefits needs to be weighted against the risks. [14] As with CT scans in general, the radiation dose can potentially increase the risk of radiation-induced cancer. The injection of iodinated contrast agents may sometimes lead to its extravasation. [15]
The ionizing radiation used in CT scans can lead to radiation-induced cancer. [13] Age is a significant factor in risk associated with CT scans, [14] and in procedures involving children and systems that do not require extensive imaging, lower doses are used. [15]
Special views focusing on the orbit of the eye may be taken to investigate concerns relating to the eye. [8] CT scans are used by physicians specializing in treating the eye (ophthalmologists) to detect foreign bodies (especially metallic objects), fractures, abscesses, cellulitis, sinusitis, bleeding within the skull (intracranial bleeding), proptosis, Graves disease changes in the eye, and ...