Tests · Abdominal CT

The organs,
in cross-section.

A contrast CT of the abdomen and pelvis images the liver, pancreas, kidneys, spleen and bowel in a single ten-minute scan, and the partner centres price it by organ focus rather than as one product. It is the test that follows an abnormal ultrasound.

10 min
Scan time

Includes a contrast injection and breath holds.

5–10 mSv
Radiation dose

Higher than a low-dose chest CT, which is around 1 to 1.5 mSv. Contrast adds a kidney and allergy consideration, not a dose one.

$176
Standalone, abdomen with contrast

MediOne's published non-covered price, ≈₩250,000. Liver or pancreas focus is ≈₩280,000.

$351
Cheapest program including it

MediOne's Basic program, ≈₩500,000, where an abdomen and pelvis contrast CT is one of two optional choices.

From 1 wk
Earliest slot

One week is the earliest an imaging slot can be held, and there is no referral step before it.

~1 wk
Full written report

English report in your hands in about a week. You also get a consultation on preliminary findings on the day of the screening, before you leave.

Programme contents and prices from each partner centre's own foreigner-facing published list, read 2026-08-05: KMI Global, Hanaro Medical Foundation's English site and MediOne's English site. Standalone per-test prices are MediOne's 비급여 (non-covered) posting, the itemised list 의료법 제45조 requires a clinic to publish, read the same day. Scheduling and report turnaround are Meridiko's own operating figures, confirmed 2026-08-06, not a centre's published ones (https://global.kmi.or.kr/examination/foreigner_examination; https://en-mobile.hanaromf.com/program/prog01/prog01_01.jsp; https://en.medionemedicalcenter.com/m1; https://medionemedicalcenter.com/115), measured 2026-08-05.

What it finds, and what it does not

What it finds, and what it does not.

Masses, cysts and structural disease in the solid organs, stones, bowel wall thickening, lymph node enlargement, and most causes of unexplained abdominal pain. With contrast it characterises a lesion an ultrasound could only report as present.

It is poor at the mucosal surface of the stomach and bowel, which is what an endoscopy is for, and it is not the best test for the bile ducts, which is MRCP. A normal abdominal CT does not exclude an early gastric or colonic cancer.

Suitability

Who it suits, and who should not have it.

Suits: Anyone whose abdominal ultrasound found something that needs characterising, anyone with unexplained weight loss or abdominal pain, and anyone with a family history of pancreatic disease who wants more than an ultrasound.

Should not have it: People with significant kidney impairment or a contrast allergy. Also anyone symptom-free who already has a normal abdominal ultrasound in the same program, for whom the extra dose usually buys little.

In context

How it differs from the related test.

An abdominal ultrasound is in every entry program on this site, costs ≈₩80,000 standalone, uses no radiation and finds most of what matters in the liver and kidneys. The CT is the escalation, not the starting point. Choosing the CT first is the most common way to buy dose you did not need.

Which tier includes it

Included from Comprehensive.

The Comprehensive tier includes one CT and lets you choose the region. MediOne offers an abdomen and pelvis contrast CT as one of two options inside its Basic program, and prices organ-focused variants separately at ≈₩280,000. If the abdomen is the reason for the trip, name it in the request rather than leaving the choice to the day.

SEE THE FULL TIER LADDER
Related tests

Often booked together.

Low-dose chest CT

The lung-cancer screening test. Ten minutes, minimal dose.

Whole-body MRI

One scan. Five regions, no radiation.

FAQ

Questions worth asking before you book.

Do I need the contrast?
For characterising a liver or pancreatic lesion, yes: that is most of what the contrast buys. For stones and gross structural questions, a non-contrast scan often answers it at lower cost and no allergy risk.
Is MRCP the same thing?
No. MRCP is an MRI of the bile and pancreatic ducts with no radiation and no contrast, priced by MediOne at ≈₩450,000. If the ducts are the question, it is the better test.