What does pelvic CT scan mainly detect?

Pelvic CT is a common examination method nowadays and is also an important examination method in medicine. Through this examination method, a variety of diseases can be detected. For example, bladder tumors, prostate cancer, cervical cancer, ovarian cancer and other diseases can be diagnosed through pelvic CT. Of course, it also helps doctors better understand the condition of these types of patients. Next, I will introduce to you what the pelvic CT scan can check!

1. Bladder Tumor

CT can clearly show the thickness of the bladder wall, detect tumors between the bladder mucosa and the bladder wall, and observe the extent of tumor invasion to the surrounding areas and metastasis to the pelvic wall and lymph nodes. However, CT cannot easily show small lesions in the bladder, and cystoendoscopy is usually the preferred examination method for small bladder cancers. CT can be used for preoperative staging of bladder cancer and follow-up of the efficacy of bladder cancer treatment.

2. Prostate cancer

It is common in the peripheral zone of the posterior lobe. When the tumor nodules are limited to the capsule, they may appear as tumor nodules with slightly lower prostate density or slight protrusions on the outer edge of the prostate on CT. Since the density difference between cancerous nodules and normal prostate tissue is small, a narrow window is required for observation. Advanced prostate cancer breaks through the capsule and invades outward, resulting in an enlarged prostate, irregular shape, and uneven density. On supine scanning, loss of the vesicospermic angle is a sign of extravesical invasion. In short, for prostate lesions, CT mainly detects changes in size and shape and whether there is invasion of surrounding organs. It is used for preoperative staging of prostate cancer and follow-up after treatment, but it is more difficult to diagnose early prostate cancer.

3. Cervical cancer

For patients with unsatisfactory clinical and ultrasound examinations of uterine and adnexal lesions, CT can be selected for further examination. In the early stages, cervical cancer is confined to the cervix, manifested by an enlarged cervix with a diameter exceeding 3.5 cm and a symmetrical or asymmetrical contour. Enhanced scanning shows that the tumor density is lower than that of normal cervical tissue. The outward spread of the tumor manifests as obvious irregular thickened cords or soft tissue masses beside the cervix. Late-stage tumors may invade the pelvic wall, rectum, or bladder, manifested as the disappearance of the fat gap between the tumor and the pelvic wall or direct fusion of the tumor with the pelvic wall muscles, serrated thickening of the rectum or bladder wall, or protrusion of tumor nodules into the rectum or bladder cavity. CT can be used as the preferred examination method for staging cervical cancer and recurrence after radiotherapy.

4. Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer is usually in the advanced stage at the time of initial diagnosis. CT scans show that ovarian masses may be cystic, cystic-solid, or solid. Generally speaking, the larger the tumor and the more solid components it has, the more likely it is to be malignant. Intra-abdominal implantation metastasis is the most common metastasis mode of ovarian cancer. Ascites helps to highlight peritoneal metastases, which appear as small nodules, plaques, or cakes. The common sites are the greater omentum, mesentery, liver, spleen, and the surface of the diaphragm. CT diagnosis has a high specificity. CT scans can determine the size and extent of ovarian cancer, whether it has invaded adjacent structures or organs, and whether there is distant metastasis, evaluate treatment efficacy, and understand postoperative recurrence.