Millions of CT scans are done every year – most leave important data behind

Medical imaging contains a veritable wealth of information that is often missed. One way this can change is for patients to ask their doctors what more they can learn from their image results.

By: Peter Gunderman, Indiana University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: March 18, 2026

Words: 1,282

Last Updated: 3 months, 3 weeks ago

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By Peter Gunderman, Indiana University

Recently, a patient came to the hospital where I work with a persistent cough. Their doctor had ordered a CT scan – a type of imaging that creates detailed cross-sectional pictures of the body’s interior – to look for pneumonia or another infection.

The scan ruled that out, but it also showed something unexpected: calcium buildup in the walls of the coronary arteries. That finding had nothing to do …

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