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CT scans
I was diagnosed with MAC and have had two CT scans in the past six months. I have not started on any medications as of yet, since my doctor is, for now, monitoring any possible changes in my condition. I'm concerned about excess radiation exposure, should my doctor request another CT scan at my upcoming appointment.
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Hi! I have had so many CT scans, I can’t count! The radiation from them ( as I understand) would have to be in the hundreds to be of any concern. I just had a High resolution CT and scarring of the apices was noted. Can anyone tell me more??
Hope this eases you mind happy healthy❤️
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2 ReactionsYou can request a lower radiation CT. The last one I had was a lower radiation CT and my pulmo said it was good enough to tell him what he needed to know. It also went very quickly compared to the high resolution CT which was nice.
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1 ReactionRadiation should be among the least of our concerns, MAC and aspergillus do much more damage. I've had
over 12 CT's, a PET and VQ scan over the last 5 years. The latter two involving a radioactive injection.
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6 ReactionsApices of the lungs are the top portion of the lungs. Some scarring there is common in many people, especially if they are tall.
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1 ReactionHi cwal. Why would height influence lung scarring?
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1 ReactionIt is my understanding it is due to the normal wear and tear of breathing in and out all our lives and gravity.
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1 Reaction"tall and slim" is the profile prone to mac/ntms which create scarring and other issues.
I like to look up and try to find the science behind things if I can so here is a more specific explanation:
*Pleural thickening was the most common finding on routine chest X-ray examinations and more than 90% of the cases were defined as a pulmonary apical cap with right lung predominance. Pleural thickening increased with age and was more frequent in males and smokers. We found that pleural thickening was associated with greater height and lower body weight and BMI. It may be that tall, thin body shapes exaggerate disproportionate perfusion, ventilation, or mechanical forces in the lungs, which may increase the risk of ischemia and/or a fibrotic response at the apex of the lung."
-https://respiratory-research.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12931-019-1116-9
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2 ReactionsThanks @ cwal! I too research all aspects of my diseases. I have Bronchiectasis and just finished 18 month treatment for MAC.
I was the one that posted the question about scarring. Your post helped but I must admit that all scarring seems to lead to pulmonary fibrosis. My concern is that I tested positive for Mycobacterium Abscessus on a sputum test when having a flare up back in Aug. I normally don’t produce sputum AT ALL but since I was feeling better, my doc didn’t want to do another bronchoscopy and opted for HRCT- which showed the scarring. Any experience or wisdom would be much appreciated!
Thanks! Dee