how to identify prostate on CT scan

gekahelf · Joined: 12 Jun 2008 Posts: 2

Is there online reference or textbook that could help me
to identify basic (most obvious) abnormalities of prostate and possibly kidneys on my CT scan. i had a prostate inflamation

My urologist doesn't get the scan (or wants it anyway), he receives a report from radiology office. i'd like understand more about my condition

thanks

hjhogle · Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 9:52 pm Post subject:

Reading an online textbook or reference will not help you to understand your CT scan or the causes of prostate inflammation. That's why there are Radiologists - specialists in interpreting CT Scans (and other diagnostic imaging procedures).

Radiologists are fully qualified, licensed physicians who spend years in college, medical school and a radiology residency (specialized training) in order to understand sometime subtle differences present on images.

Your own urologist can request the images from your CT scan and go over them with you. He can also request that the radiologist who interpreted your study go over it with you.

I applaud you for participating in your own diagnosis and treatment. But you'd be better served by having someone who KNOWS what they're looking at show it to you.

Good luck
hjh, RT

gekahelf · Joined: 12 Jun 2008 Posts: 2

Is this the only help I can get here? You don't need to tell me how complicated radiology is - its given. So is everything else. That's why I mentioned "basic or obvious" organ abnormalities.

So is there radiology textbook concentrating on abdominal and pelvis area w/ ct scan examples?

papa · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 4:45 pm Post subject:

it's not the fact that we don't want to help. legally, we really can't help. yes there are textbooks all over the place, and i'm sure there are some online. however, to really understand what the images are like, you really need to talk to a radiologist. they are the doctors trained to read the images. yes, we as radiological technologists specialized in CT imaging know what gross pathology is.

however, there are so many things that can look abnormal, that are really normal (and there are things that may look normal, that can be very abnormal). we're not trained to make that decision. and getting back to the leagal aspect, it's beyond our scope of practice. i personally have known some technologists who have lost their licences for discussing pathology that they saw on a particular study.

if you're just curious as to what it looks like, try a google search for those parts of the anatomy including "sectional imaging", or images performed under CT and MRI.

you also may be interested in some sites have a Virtual "PACS" images. you can also look there

hope this helps

papa RTRCT
_________________
Mr. Green

papa RT(R)(CT) Mr. Green

Delusional Radiology
never meddle in the affairs of a dragon, for you are crunchy, and taste good with ketchup

papa · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 4:48 pm Post subject:

hjhogle · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 8:23 pm Post subject:

You're asking the wrong bunch.

Radiographers are specialists in performing procedures and obtaining images. You want to know all that we know about doing THAT? We'll be glad to sit down with you and share it.

What you're asking for are crib notes from a Radiologists perspective. And we don't have that.

Physician. You need to pose your questions to a Radiologist, preferably the one who interpreted your exam.

hjh, RT

RonCohen · Joined: 25 Mar 2009 Posts: 1

I too would like to read my wife's MRI scan since the Einstein Hospital where the scan was created missed her cancer growth for two years. Her cancer doctor at Fox Chase didn't see it either and when I laid the photos out to show her she said that she didn't have time to read the scans, well then how about the Radiologists, well he is busy also, isn't this their job?
My wife told them for two years that she had a pain in her lower back close to the backbone. This past February an intern looked at the scan and found the 6.3 cm cancer growth attached to her spine. I went back over all of the scans and saw it from August 2007 at 3 cm, November 2007 it was 4 cm, they didn't perform any scans in 2008, February 2009 it was now 6.3 cm by 2.7 cm. She is now taking radiation to try and reduce the size.
To me if the Radiologists in two hospitals don't have the time to read a scan it sure looks like the patient has to do it.

Thank you

Ron Cohen