Imaging

Dexa, or bone density testing, is used to measure bone strength and diagnose osteoporosis. This is available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Computed tomography (CT) uses x-rays to provide detailed pictures of structures inside the body. CT scans of the brain, soft tissue neck, sinus and facial bones, chest, pulmonary embolism, abdomen and pelvis, appendix, spine, upper and lower extremities, angiography, and CT-guided biopsy are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Calcium scoring CT, CT-guided biopsy and low dose lung screening is available by request.

Echocardiography (echo) is a sonogram of the heart.

Stress echo is a supplement to the routine exercise cardiac stress test. During stress echocardiography, the sound waves of the ultrasound are used to produce images of the heart at rest and at the peak of exercise.

Echo tests are available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Transesophageal echo (TEE) is a type of echo in which the ultrasound transducer, positioned on an endoscope, is guided down a patient's throat into the esophagus. The TEE test provides a closer look at the heart's valves and chambers, without the interference from the ribs or lungs. This test can only be performed at the request of a cardiologist.

TEEs are available Tuesday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Recent studies have suggested that 3-D mammography, when used in conjunction with traditional 2-D digital mammograms, leads to higher rates of cancer detection and reduces false alarms for patients.

"3-D mammography is especially beneficial for the 25 percent of women who have dense breasts," explains radiologist Aaron Lewis, MD. "Greater tissue density decreases the sensitivity of traditional 2-D mammograms because the overlapping structures can hide a tiny cancer or create something that looks like a mass but is not. With 3-D mammography we can potentially find smaller cancers earlier and reduce the number of callbacks for additional testing."

3-D mammography and digital mammography with CAD is available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon.

Breast sonography is available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Needle localization breast biopsies are available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) use a magnetic field and pulses of radio wave energy to provide detailed pictures of organs and structures inside the body. Tests offered at Cass Regional include:

• MRI brain, internal auditory canal (IAC) and face
• MRA head and neck
• MRI cervical, thoracic, lumbar and sacral spine
• MRI/MRA abdomen and pelvis
• MRI liver (Eovist)
• MRI cholangiopancreatography
• MRI upper and lower extremities
• MRI breasts

MRI services are available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Nuclear medicine scans use a radiotracer to provide detailed information about functioning systems within the body. These pictures are taken after a radioactive tracer is inserted in the arm and absorbed by the tissues and organs.

• Bone Scans
• Biliary Scans
• Thyroid Scans
• Parathyroid Scans
• Gastric Emptying Scans
• GI Blood Loss Scans
• Lung Scans
• Liver/Spleen Scans
• Renal Scans
• Renal Captopril Scans
• Sentinel Node Scans
• Lymphoscintigraphy
• MUGA Scans
• Nuclear Stress Testing

Nuclear medicine services are available Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Positron emission tomography (PET) scans utilize a special camera and radioactive tracer to view organs of the body. This scan is done in conjunction with a CT scan, combining both procedures into one single exam. This procedure is available every second, third and fourth Wednesday in the afternoon.

Ultrasound is an imaging method that uses high-frequency sound waves to produce images of structures within your body.

• Abdomen
• Pelvis and transvaginal
• Obsterical (OB)
• Prostate
• Testicles
• Aorta
• Chest
• Neck and thyroids
• Carotid dopplers
• Venous and arterial dopplers
• Ankle-Brachial Index study
• Renal dopplers
• Ultrasound guided procedures including paracentesis, thoracentesis and biopsies

Ultrasound procedures are available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Routine X-ray procedures are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Fluoroscopy procedures including barium enema, barium swallow/esophograms, small bowel series and video swallows, myelography, lumbar punctures, arthrograms and hip injections are available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.