Chest CT scan

A chest CT is a layered X-ray scan. It shows the lungs, airways, the mediastinum (the space between the lungs), the pleura, the heart with its large vessels, the ribs and the thoracic spine in thin slices. Referrals often shorten it to "chest CT" or "CT thorax". It sees far more than a plain X-ray and needs only a few minutes of scanning. At Oberig Clinic in Kyiv a chest CT without contrast costs UAH 2,860. The scan is done in the Diagnostic Department on one of three CT scanners, and radiologists report it.

What a chest CT shows

The scanner takes hundreds of slices up to 1 mm thick. Software builds them into a 3D image. The radiologist can look at an organ in any plane and measure a lesion to the millimetre. That is why CT finds changes that hide behind the heart, ribs or diaphragm on an X-ray.

A lung CT picks up spots and nodules from 2-3 mm, early pneumonia including viral pneumonia with a "ground glass" pattern, interstitial lung disease, emphysema, widened airways (bronchiectasis), tuberculosis, tumours and metastases. In the mediastinum it shows lymph nodes, the thymus, the gullet and the aorta. It also reveals fluid around the lungs, a collapsed lung and rib fractures.

There is one job a standard CT cannot do: rule out a blood clot in the lung arteries. That needs a separate CT angiogram with contrast, done to a different protocol.

When doctors order it

Your doctor sends you for a CT when a cough lasts more than 3 weeks, a fever does not settle, or you have shortness of breath, coughing up blood, chest pain or weight loss for no reason. A CT is needed if an X-ray found a shadow, a spot or a widened lung root, if pneumonia is suspected but does not show on X-ray, and after a chest injury.

Oncologists use CT to find a tumour, check lymph nodes and spread, plan surgery or radiotherapy and follow treatment. Pulmonologists order it for a chronic cough and suspected fibrosis, bronchiectasis or sarcoidosis. For long-term smokers CT helps find lung cancer early. Before lung surgery, surgeons use CT as a map. It shows exactly where a lesion sits and which vessels run nearby.

If you already have symptoms, start with a pulmonologist. The doctor listens to your lungs, looks at earlier images and decides if you need a CT and which protocol. Sometimes a chest X-ray is enough as a first step, and CT comes in only if the X-ray shows something unclear.

With contrast, without it, and low-dose CT

A CT without contrast is the standard for most tasks: pneumonia, nodules, emphysema, fibrosis, follow-up after COVID-19, screening. Lung tissue is full of air. Against that dark background changes stand out without any extra agent.

A contrast CT is ordered to assess a tumour, enlarged lymph nodes, the mediastinum, vessels, the pleura or an abscess. An iodine-based dye goes into a vein during the scan. It is safe for most people. The dye lights up vessels and tissue with a rich blood supply. The radiologist then sees the edges of a lesion and how it relates to nearby organs.

The referring doctor or the radiologist on site picks the right option for you. If you are unsure, bring your referral and earlier results. The protocol depends on them.

A low-dose lung CT uses several times less radiation than a standard scan. It was designed to screen for lung cancer in high-risk people before any symptoms appear. International guidelines offer it to people aged 50-80 who smoke, or quit no more than 15 years ago, and have a long smoking history. You repeat it every year. It catches nodules while they can still be removed with a small operation.

The clinic's price list has no separate item for the low-dose protocol. Ask the contact centre or a pulmonologist if it suits you and what it costs.

How to prepare

A CT without contrast needs no special preparation. You can eat and drink. Before the scan you remove all metal from your chest: chains, an underwired bra, clothes with fasteners. For a contrast CT the clinic's guidance says:

• bring your doctor's referral if you have one, plus earlier reports and CT or X-ray discs
• if you are over 65, have diabetes or kidney disease, have a creatinine blood test in advance and work out your kidney filtration rate (eGFR)
• with an eGFR of 30-44 and metformin, stop metformin 48 hours before the scan and restart it 48 hours after
• if you ever had an allergic reaction to contrast, book an anaesthetist consultation in advance

With an eGFR below 30, contrast CT is not done. Breastfeeding women should pause feeding for 24 hours after contrast. CT is not recommended in pregnancy. It is done only when life depends on it. Children need a doctor's referral. Kids under 6 may need sedation.

What happens during the scan

You lie on your back on the scanner table and put your arms above your head. The table slides slowly through a wide ring. There is no tunnel like in MRI, so people who fear tight spaces cope easily. The machine gives you instructions: breathe in and hold your breath for 5-10 seconds. The scan itself takes a few seconds. Keep still and follow the breathing commands. If you move, the image blurs and the scan may need a repeat.

If you need contrast, a nurse places a small tube in a vein in your arm. As the dye goes in you may feel warm all over and notice a metallic taste. It passes within a minute. The whole visit takes about 15 minutes, up to 30 in complex cases. After contrast, wait at the clinic for 20-30 minutes and drink more water during the day.

A standard chest CT gives a dose of a few millisieverts. A low-dose scan gives about one. That is why CT is never done "just in case". Doctors order it only when the benefit outweighs the risk.

Normal findings

A normal report says the lung fields are clear, there are no spots or areas of consolidation, the airways are open, the lymph nodes are not enlarged and there is no fluid around the lungs. Below are the guides radiologists use. Your doctor reads the result together with your symptoms. Reports often mention small scars or calcium spots. On their own they rarely mean anything serious.

Small nodules up to 5-6 mm turn up in many people. Most often they are old scars from inflammation. The plan depends on size, shape and your risk. Usually a follow-up CT in 6-12 months or simple monitoring is enough.

After pneumonia, COVID-19 and with nodules

After severe pneumonia doctors often order a follow-up CT. The goal is simple. They want to make sure the inflammation has cleared and left no scarring. Changes on CT fade more slowly than a fever, so the check usually happens after 6-8 weeks, not a few days.

If breathlessness and cough linger after COVID-19, CT shows whether patches of "ground glass" or streaks remain. Together with spirometry it helps the pulmonologist decide if you need rehabilitation and what kind.

Found a lung nodule? Do not panic. Most small nodules are benign: old scars, healed tuberculosis, calcified lymph nodes. The radiologist describes the size, shape, density and edges of each one. The plan depends on that.

For small nodules a follow-up CT in a few months is usually enough. A nodule that has not grown for two years counts as benign. Larger or suspicious nodules are discussed with an oncologist and a pulmonologist. Sometimes a biopsy is needed. Comparing with earlier scans helps a lot, so keep all your discs and reports.

Frequently asked questions

Lung CT or chest CT: what is the difference?

It is the same scan. The lungs cannot be scanned apart from the chest. The radiologist simply focuses the report on what your doctor asked.

Do I get the images?

You get the radiologist's written report. The images can be copied to a USB drive to show another doctor. Keep the drive with your medical papers for future comparisons.

Can I have a CT if I am claustrophobic?

Yes. There is no tunnel. The ring is wide and short, and the scan lasts a few seconds.

When will I get the report?

The Diagnostic Department issues reports within 24 hours, except weekends and public holidays.

Can I have a CT without a referral?

Adults can, but the protocol depends on the question. It is better to come with a referral or see a pulmonologist first.

Can I get a second opinion?

Yes. The clinic's radiologists review CT scans done elsewhere and write their own report.

Chest CT price

A chest CT without contrast costs UAH 2,860. With contrast it costs UAH 5,470. There is no separate lung CT item in the price list, because the lungs are scanned together with the whole chest.

When you compare clinics in Kyiv, price is not the only thing that counts. The scanner, the protocol and the radiologist's experience decide whether a nodule of a few millimetres gets noticed.

Prices are taken from the clinic's price list as of 12.10.2026. They may change. Please check the current cost with the contact centre.

Why choose Oberig Clinic for a chest CT

• Three CT scanners with 128, 64 and 20 slices. Booking is quick, and complex cases get a high-detail scanner.
• Radiologists read the scans: Head of the Diagnostic Department Taras Matsiievskyi, Deputy Head Iryna Mykytenko, a top-category doctor, and Oleksandr Lysenko, a top-category doctor.
• American College of Radiology protocols, Siemens reference centre, report within 24 hours.
• Pulmonologist Anton Sadomov, PhD, associate professor, along with oncologists and surgeons, works at the same clinic. Your result turns straight into a treatment plan.

Address: 3 Zoolohichna St., buildings "G" and "V", Kyiv. Book online at https://my.oberig.ua/ua/appointment/ or call +38 044 521 30 03.