Radiology Center
A well rounded, accurate and timely diagnosis is only possible while having a massive radiology department. With patient centricity in our hearts and minds we carefully selected all the radiology machinery. Having all the following devices from Philips: MRI Tesla 3 which is the most accurate MRI for patient use CT 128 Slice for quick and urgent care, the CT protocols yield results within a range of ten minutes. X-Ray for a fast and accurate turnaround portable X-ray for immobile conditions, we bring the device to you aiming for your maximum comfort. Echo complementing the effective cardiac treatment plans. Along with a Sonar and portable Sonar for an extremely simple yet accurate and timely imaging.
Radiology Centre at Town Hospital, New Cairo
The diagnostic imaging your doctor relies on to reach a clear picture — MRI, CT, ultrasound and Doppler, echocardiography and X-ray — for outpatients and for inpatients here at the hospital.
We know that waiting for a scan, or for its report, can be unsettling — so the radiology team explains the steps of your examination before it begins and what you will feel during it. If you are unable to move, a portable X-ray unit and a portable ultrasound machine can be brought to your bedside. And if you would like to understand the difference between the examinations before your appointment, you can read our article on types of scans and the difference between CT and MRI.
MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)
The MRI scanner at Town Hospital — a Philips 3 Tesla system — uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves to build detailed images of the inside of the body, without ionising radiation. That is why doctors turn to it so often for the brain and spinal cord, the joints and soft tissue, and for following how some conditions respond to treatment.
Preparation is usually simple: loose clothing, jewellery and metal left at home, and you may be asked not to eat or drink for a number of hours depending on the type of scan. Most important of all, tell the radiology team before you enter the scanner room about any device or metal inside your body — a pacemaker, vascular clips, medication pumps or a cochlear implant — because the strong magnetic field can attract some metals or interfere with how such devices work. A clear image also depends on staying completely still during the scan.
CT scan (Computed Tomography)
A CT scan is X-ray imaging that captures successive slices of the body and assembles them into precise cross-sectional images; the hospital’s scanner is a 128-slice system. It is a fast examination, which is why it is used so widely in accidents and trauma, in sudden abdominal or chest pain, in examining the lungs and blood vessels, and in detecting tumours and following them up.
CT uses ionising radiation, so it is performed only when the doctor judges that the diagnostic benefit outweighs that exposure. You may be asked not to eat or drink for a few hours beforehand, particularly if the examination needs a contrast agent. It is important to tell the team if you are pregnant, or if you have had a previous reaction to contrast dye or a problem with your kidneys.
Ultrasound and Doppler (sonar)
Ultrasound uses sound waves to form live images of the organs. It does not use ionising radiation and has no known harmful effects when used properly. Doctors rely on it for the liver, gallbladder, kidneys, pancreas and spleen, for assessing abdominal pain and for following a pregnancy. Doppler is a form of ultrasound that shows blood moving inside the arteries and veins; the most common reason for a venous Doppler is to look for clots — particularly in the leg veins — and Doppler is also used to assess varicose veins and narrowed vessels.
Preparation is usually simple, and you may be asked to fast for a number of hours before an abdominal or gallbladder scan, according to your doctor’s instructions. The hospital also has a portable ultrasound machine that can be taken to the patient’s room when coming down to the radiology department is not possible.
Echocardiography (heart echo)
An echocardiogram is a sound-wave examination that shows the heart as it beats: the size of its chambers, the movement of the muscle, how the valves are working and the direction of blood inside it. Like ultrasound, it does not rely on ionising radiation, and the common type — through the chest wall — usually needs no injection or sedation, although in some cases a contrast agent is injected into a vein in the arm to make the picture clearer.
Doctors usually request it to find out whether symptoms such as shortness of breath, palpitations or swollen feet are related to the heart, to follow how well the heart is working in heart failure, valve disease and congenital defects, and to assess the heart after a heart attack. The examination usually needs no special preparation: gel is placed on the chest and the probe is moved over it, and it typically takes around 30 to 40 minutes.
X-ray (plain radiography)
X-ray is among the most common and fastest imaging examinations. It is used for the bones, the joints and fractures, and for the chest and lungs. It relies on ionising radiation, but radiology departments work to the principle of keeping the dose as low as reasonably achievable while preserving the clarity of the image.
The examination needs almost no preparation; you are usually asked to remove metal and jewellery from the area being imaged and to stay still at the moment the image is taken. It is important to tell the team if you are pregnant or think you might be. Town Hospital also has a portable X-ray unit that is brought to the bedside of a patient who cannot move, so the examination is carried out at the bed rather than moving them to the radiology department.
Detailed imaging of the brain, spine, joints and soft tissue, without ionising radiation.
Fast cross-sectional imaging for urgent and detailed assessment.
X-ray and ultrasound that can come to the bedside when a patient cannot move.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between an MRI and a CT scan?
The difference lies in where the image comes from and in what each one shows. MRI relies on a strong magnetic field and radio waves, with no ionising radiation, and it shows soft tissue, the brain, the spinal cord and the joints in high detail — but it takes longer and requires you to stay completely still. CT relies on X-rays and is completed quickly, which is why it is used so often in accidents and acute cases, and it is precise for the chest, abdomen and pelvis. Choosing the right examination is a medical decision that depends on your condition and on the question your doctor is trying to answer.
Does a CT scan involve radiation?
Yes — a CT scan uses X-rays, which are ionising radiation. But the matter is always weighed up: when a doctor requests the examination, the expected benefit of an accurate diagnosis is greater than the potential risk from the dose, and radiology departments are committed to keeping the dose as low as reasonably achievable while preserving image quality. This is why a scan is not carried out simply for reassurance, without a medical reason. It is important to tell the team if you are pregnant, or if the examination is for a child, so that the appropriate precautions can be taken.
Do I need to prepare before an MRI?
Preparation is usually simple. Wear loose clothing and leave jewellery and metal at home, and you may be asked not to eat or drink for a number of hours depending on the type of scan and on whether it needs a contrast agent — these instructions differ from one examination to another. The most important step before you enter the scanner room is to tell the radiology team about any device or metal inside your body, such as a pacemaker, surgical clips or a cochlear implant. And if you have claustrophobia or find it difficult to stay still, speak to your doctor in advance so that suitable arrangements can be made.
Why does the doctor specify which scan is needed?
Because the right examination changes with the medical question. Your treating doctor is the one who decides the type of scan, the area to be imaged and the question the image has to answer — each examination has things it shows well and things it does not, and an examination that does not suit the case may not give the answer that is needed. Examinations that require a contrast agent or special preparation also need a prior medical assessment to make sure they are suitable for you. It also helps to bring any previous reports and images with you, as they allow the radiologist to compare and to read the new image in its proper context.
