Chest X-Ray, CT Scan or MRI at The Children's Hospital

Chest X-Ray

A chest x-ray is a non-invasive procedure that provides a picture of the heart, lungs, and bones of the chest. It shows the location, size, and shape of the heart, lungs, and blood vessels and can show a doctor if there is fluid in the lungs. It can be useful in the diagnosis of pneumonia, tumors, collapsed lung, congestive heart failure and rib fractures. It does not, however, show any of the inside structures of the heart.

Having an x-ray taken is quick and painless. If your child is an outpatient, the x-ray is done in the Radiology department. If your child is staying at The Children’s Hospital, portable x-ray machines are sometimes brought to your child so that he does not have to be moved.

CT Scan

At times, your doctor could order a CT scan (CAT scan) to give more detailed information about your child’s heart than can be seen on a normal x-ray. The CT scan shows detail and cross-section al images of the internal structures of the heart. Some CT scans might require that a dye is administered, either orally or intravenously, to your child to provide contrast. Your child will need to lie very still during the test for at least 30 minutes, so younger patients might sometimes need to be lightly sedated.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

An MRI is similar to a CT scan, and is a test that uses a huge magnet to produce signals from the atoms within one’s body and then collects and magnifies these signals into pictures of the body. This test can show clear images of thickening of the chambers of the heart and blood flow information. Your child will need to lie very still during the test for at least 30 minutes, so younger patients might sometimes need to be lightly sedated.