From the Research
CT Scan of Soft Tissue Neck without Contrast for Throat Pain
- A CT scan of the soft tissue neck without contrast can show various structures of the neck, including the nasopharynx, oropharynx, laryngopharynx, thyroid, and lateral pharyngeal space 1.
- The scan can help diagnose diseases of the soft tissue structures of the neck, but may not replace other commonly used techniques 1.
- In patients presenting with throat pain, a CT scan of the neck can help predict the likelihood of an imaging-based diagnosis, especially if there is cervical lymphadenopathy, tonsillar findings, increased white blood cell count, and temperature 2.
- The scan can also help evaluate deep neck infections, which can have severe complications if not properly managed 3.
- Clinical evaluation alone may underestimate the extent of deep neck infection, and CT scans can provide more accurate information about the affected neck spaces 3.
- The use of CT scans can provide significant clinical information, especially when appropriate windows for viewing the extracalvarial soft tissues are utilized 4.
- CT scans can distinguish between soft tissue structures of varying densities, bone, and air, making them suitable for the study of head and neck disorders, including the evaluation of salivary gland enlargements, staging of known tumors, and assessment of laryngeal and facial trauma 5.