Jan 31, 2020· To read a CT scan, start by noting the shades of white, gray, and black since dense tissues like bone will be in the white areas, air and fat show as dark gray or black, and soft tissues and fluids will read as various shades of gray. If you’re looking at bilateral organs, like your kidneys or the 2 lobes of the brain, compare the 2 sides to look for any abnormalities.