5. Computed Tomography

Computed tomography (CT) uses ionizing radiation to create a cross-sectional image. This allows visualization of a greater variety of tissue structures beyond the four basic densities (air, bone, soft tissue, and fat) that are seen on a conventional radiograph. Unlike conventional X-rays, which utilize one projection to form an image, CT uses ­multiple small projections across the body and combines the information to form the image. It is this combining of the images that allows greater soft tissue detail to be displayed.