The use of a general purpose computed tomography unit.

Two thousand five hundred and forty computed tomography (CT) examinations over a three year period were studied to determine the number of examinations of the body being performed, the use of body CT by clinicians from different specialties and the proportion of such patients with known or suspected malignant disease. Examinations were divided into head and body categories, the latter being sub-divided into groups on the basis of known neoplastic, suspected neoplastic and non-neoplastic disease. Forty-eight percent of examinations were of the body, and of these 44% were of patients with suspected neoplasia referred by general clinicians. The number of patients with known extracranial neoplasia referred by oncologists or radiotherapists was similar to the number of patients in whom there was no suspicion of malignancy. There is a significant demand for CT in the management of non-malignant conditions as well as in known or suspected malignant disease. The figures provided should be of value to those involved in establishing or updating CT units in general hospitals.