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CT scan
During a computerized tomography scan, X-ray pictures are taken by a machine that encircles the body like a giant doughnut. Computers generate cross-sectional images of the inside of the body and provide details of the organs. CT scans are less reliable than ultrasonography for diagnosis of gallstones but do show dilated bile ducts, which may indicate the presence of a stone. Their principal use is to detect complications such as fluid around the gallbladder, gas in the gallbladder wall, gallbladder perforations, or pus-filled areas inside the gallbladder that indicate infection. CT scans are effective for assessing whether a patient needs emergency surgery to remove the gallbladder.
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