More scans, more panic...

[Lili6]

Has anyone had a CT Thorax for anything related to Chirrosis? My husband has just had an appointment for one of these turn up out of the blue and we aren't sure why. He had an abdominal and liver CT about 6 weeks ago. We have tried the consultant unsuccessfully and now I'm going to have a weekend of trying to avoid Dr. Google.

[Fibro2021]

In my case, a CT scan of the abdomen and thorax was performed simultaneously.

It’s possible that the results of the abdominal CT showed certain findings that required additional evaluation of the lungs. This might be related to portal hypertension and potential vascular anomalies or shunts, which can sometimes occur with cirrhosis.

It would be helpful to know if your husband has had any breathing issues, as this might provide more insight into what prompted the additional testing.

[Lili6 in reply to Fibro2021]

Thank you for your reply. He has portal vein thrombosis, and this had led to varices, he has also had a previous splenectomy. I wonder if they are looking at the circulatory system around there in general. He doesn't have any breathing issues.

[Fibro2021 in reply to Lili6]

Thanks for the clarification — that makes things a lot clearer. With portal vein thrombosis and varices, doctors may indeed want to see how the blood flow is being redistributed, especially after a splenectomy. Sometimes they check whether any collateral vessels are forming, including ones that might run through the lungs. The good news is that he has no breathing problems — that already speaks in his favor.