SPIRAL COMPUTED-TOMOGRAPHY - A NEW CT IMA GING MODALITY

Spiral computed tomography is a new imaging modality that presents sev eral advantages when compared to conventional and dynamic computed tom ography, It consists in a continuous rotation of the X-Ray tube around the anatomical area to be explored, simultaneously with a move of the examination table at a constant speed, Advantages are the short acqui sition time (below one minute), optimization of the intravenous inject ion of the iodinated contrast material, acquisition of a gapless volum e of data which can be postprocessed, permitting axial reconstructed s ections which are perfectly contiguous, as well as an easy access to 2 D multiplanar and 3D reconstructions, with the benefit of a substantia l decrease in patients' radiation, This paper will review the prominen t advantages, as well as the current limitations, of this new imaging modality.