ENT, SINUS & ALLERGY HEALTH BLOG
When diagnosing sinus problems, one valuable tool is a computerized tomography (CT) scan, according to Dr. Manish Khanna of Capitol Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers.
"The CT scan... gives you really detailed picture of the anatomy," Khanna said. "Is there an active infection? Is there mucosal thickening? Are there polyps?”
A CT scan can provide doctors with a lot of information on the state of a patient's sinuses, according to Khanna.
"You can see if there are things you have to be concerned about: a mass of some sort, for example," he said."The scan works in conjunction with the endoscopic exam to really get a good, complete overview of what's going on with the patient's sinus cavities."
Capitol Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers has its own CT machine at the clinic.
"Patients don't have to take an extra trip to the radiology center," Khanna said. "Our office CT scanners have 10% of the radiation exposure to patients that they do in the ones in the hospital. We offer faster turnaround. I’m able to review the films directly with the patient that same day, within a span of literally five minutes. So from a convenience factor, cost factor to safety for the patient, the in-office CT scanners is a game changer."
According to the Mayo Clinic, a CT scan can be used to "visualize nearly all parts of the body and is used to diagnose disease or injury, as well as to plan medical, surgical or radiation treatment."
During a CT scan, patients are briefly exposed to ionizing radiation.
"The amount of radiation is greater than you would get during a plain X-ray because the CT scan gathers more-detailed information," Mayo Clinic said. "The low doses of radiation used in CT scans have not been shown to cause long-term harm, although at much higher doses, there may be a small increase in your potential risk of cancer."
However, the benefits of CT scans "outweigh any small potential risk," according to Mayo Clinic. "Doctors use the lowest dose of radiation possible to obtain the needed medical information. Also, newer, faster machines and techniques require less radiation than was previously used. Talk with your doctor about the benefits and risks of your CT scan."
Capitol Breathe Free offers patients a free online quiz to evaluate their symptoms.
Capitol Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers is committed to providing the best sinus and allergy relief in the entire DC Metro Area, using the most advanced, proven patient-friendly techniques available. With 29 million Americans suffering from sinusitis and 242,000 annual chronic sinusitis ER visits, our mission is to provide minimally invasive options for needed long-lasting relief so that patients can get back to living. We call this mission Breathe Free and Live Well, and it is the North Star that guides us in each unique, collaborative patient interaction. To learn more about Capitol Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers, please visit our website.