The Hounsfield Scale

The Hounsfield Scale is a measurement system used in CT scans to quantify different types of tissues based on how much they absorb X-rays. It assigns a numerical value to each tissue: air has a low value (around -1000), water is set at 0, and dense materials like bone have high positive values (up to +1000). This scale helps radiologists distinguish between various tissues and identify abnormalities by comparing these values, making it easier to diagnose health issues accurately.