CT Abdomen + Pelvis (Contrast)
A focused scan for Liver, Kidneys, Bowel and more.
Overview
Examines Liver, Kidneys, Bowel, Pelvic organs. Performed at an NABL-accredited Meridian Health centre with a same-day report and a free doctor review.
The full panel
4 areas across 1 groupEvery parameter, grouped by body system — no clicking to expand.
What this scan measures
The abdomen and pelvis in thin slices before and after intravenous iodinated contrast — liver, spleen, pancreas, gallbladder and bile ducts, kidneys and adrenals, the whole bowel, the major vessels, the lymph nodes, and the pelvic organs including the uterus and ovaries or the prostate.
Contrast makes blood vessels and vascularised tissue bright, which is what separates a tumour from normal tissue, an abscess from a cyst, and inflamed bowel from normal bowel. It is ordered for unexplained abdominal pain, suspected appendicitis or diverticulitis, cancer staging, unexplained weight loss or fever, and after abdominal trauma.
Symptoms that lead to this scan
- Abdominal pain that ultrasound has not explained
- Unexplained weight loss, fever or anaemia
- Suspected appendicitis, diverticulitis or an abscess
- Staging or follow-up of a known cancer
- Blood in the stool, or a change in bowel habit under investigation
Understanding your results
The way a lesion takes up and washes out contrast over time is often what characterises it — a haemangioma, a cyst and a tumour enhance in recognisably different patterns. Small incidental findings are very common: simple renal and liver cysts, tiny adrenal adenomas and non-specific nodes turn up routinely and usually need nothing more than a note in the report. A CT describes what a structure looks like; where it matters, tissue is still confirmed by biopsy.
Why the preparation matters
Four hours of fasting reduces the (small) risk of nausea and vomiting after the contrast injection, and empties the stomach so it does not obscure adjacent structures. You may be asked to drink oral contrast or water beforehand to distend the bowel — an undistended loop of bowel can look exactly like a mass. Blood tests for kidney function are usually checked before iodinated contrast, and being well hydrated before and after the scan helps the kidneys clear it. Expect a warm flush and a metallic taste as the contrast goes in; both are normal and pass within a minute.
CT Scan — safety and who should not be scanned
Full CT Scan guideCT uses considerably more ionising radiation than a plain X-ray — the trade for the detail it produces. Published reference figures put a head CT at roughly the background radiation of several months and a chest or abdominal CT at roughly a few years' worth. That is a risk worth taking when the scan will change management, and not worth taking when it will not, which is why CT is requested selectively rather than as a screening test. Modern scanners use iterative reconstruction and automatic dose modulation to keep the exposure as low as the diagnostic question allows.
- Pregnancy
- Always declare it. CT of the abdomen or pelvis delivers a direct dose to the fetus and is avoided unless the scan is genuinely necessary and no alternative — usually ultrasound or MRI — will answer the question. Head and limb CT can sometimes proceed with shielding after a specific discussion.
- Previous severe reaction to iodinated contrast
- A past reaction with rash, swelling, breathing difficulty or collapse must be reported before any contrast study. The scan may be done without contrast, with premedication, or replaced by a different test. Simple warmth, flushing or a metallic taste during a previous injection is a normal sensation, not an allergy.
- Impaired kidney function
- Iodinated contrast is cleared by the kidneys, so a recent creatinine or eGFR is checked before contrast studies. With significantly reduced function the scan may be done without contrast, or with hydration and dose adjustment as directed by the radiologist.
- Metformin, and uncontrolled thyroid overactivity
- Bring your medication list. Metformin is sometimes withheld around a contrast study in people with reduced kidney function, and iodinated contrast can destabilise untreated hyperthyroidism — both are managed with a plan rather than a refusal, provided the team knows.
- Inability to lie still, or claustrophobia
- The bore is short and open, so claustrophobia is far less of a problem than with MRI, but movement blurs the slices and may make a scan non-diagnostic. Tell the team if pain, tremor or anxiety will make stillness difficult; positioning aids and, rarely, sedation can be arranged.
- Table weight and bore limits
- Every scanner has a stated maximum table weight and aperture. Mention any concern when booking so the appropriate scanner is allocated, rather than discovering it on the day.
Who should consider this scan
- Anyone with unexplained abdominal pain after an inconclusive ultrasound
- Patients being staged or followed up for cancer
- People with suspected intra-abdominal infection or abscess
- Anyone with unexplained weight loss or iron-deficiency anaemia
- Patients after significant abdominal trauma
Conditions it helps detect
How it works
Patient stories
96% recommend“The phlebotomist arrived exactly on time and was gentle. My report came in five hours with a doctor’s note.”
“Booked at night, sample collected next morning. The parameter breakdown is genuinely thorough.”
“Loved the free doctor review — she walked me through my vitamin D and thyroid results clearly.”