Programs are particular types of scans that are used in certain medical situations. A urogram is a type of CT scan used when you have a urinary tract infection (UTI). It’s used to examine the urine and look for scarring and other problems that may be causing the infection. A CT urogram in New Jersey may also be called a cystogram or cystoscopy. This article lists vital facts about a CT urogram and its uses. Keep reading to learn more.
How is a CT urogram different than a regular CAT scan?
A CT urogram produces an image of the inside of your urinary tract. This includes images from your bladder, urethra, residual urine, and surrounding tissue, including the kidneys and other organs. While a CAT scan can detect problems in more organ systems, a cat scan is thought to be less accurate in detecting problems in the urinary tract (UTI). That’s why CT programs are sometimes helpful in evaluating possible UTIs and any bladder issues that may be causing symptoms such as pain or blood in your urine. Cat scans are not used to assess UTIs when you have one because they may not be able to detect them accurately enough to help you determine if you need treatment for a UTI – it’s inaccurate at best. They can also cause health problems, and some machines can detect threats without causing radiation exposure or other health issues.
It depends on the stones’ size, location, and presence of infection. If you have a bladder infection, the stones or calcifications may be causing an obstruction or a blockage in your urinary tract. This can cause bleeding, pain, fever, and other health issues.
Doesn’t an ultrasound of the kidneys help a doctor see if there are any problems?
Yes. An ultrasound can tell the doctor if there are any problems with your kidneys. However, it cannot spot bladder stones (excluding cystoliths) in front of the kidney and not inside it. It cannot detect smaller bladder stones (unless they’re on their own). However, this type of scan is more helpful in looking at other parts of your urinary tract, such as your urethra and prostate gland; and it enables you to have a six-pack look at your urinary tract if you do not have symptoms yet. If you have symptoms like pain when urinating more than once every three hours and cloudy urine, this would be another good reason to go for a CT urogram instead of an ultrasound – which would yield similar results but without the radiation exposure from a CT scan – especially if you know that it is due to stone obstruction or inflammation or infection caused by kidney disease or kidney stones.
