What is PET/CT?
PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scanners make pictures that show metabolic activity, while CT scanners make pictures that show anatomy. The PET/CT scanner combines the two into a single exam that makes images that show both anatomy and metabolic activity. These combination images provide diagnostic information that either one on its own, PET or CT, cannot offer. PET/CT exams require the patient to be injected with a radiopharmaceutical tracer. .
What is PET/CT used for?
Uses of PET/CT include the early diagnosis of cancer, and locating, accessing and monitoring tumors. For patients with coronary artery disease, CCTA can accurately assess the benefits of bypass surgery or angioplasty. For patients with neurological disease, PET can help locate the regions of the brain responsible for intractable seizures, which is helpful in determining if surgery would be beneficial. At their early stages, PET can identify and characterize degenerative diseases of the brain, such as Alzheimer’s.
