PET/CT
http://www.allieddiagnostics.net/diagnostic-scans/petct/
What is PET/CT?
Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a medical imaging technique in which a small amount of a radioactive tracer given to the patient, normally by injecting it into a vein. The most commonly used tracer in PET is a radioactive form of glucose. The scan shows how the body breaks down and uses glucose. Cancer cells use glucose differently and this will show up on the scan.
PET-CT combines two state of the art imaging modalities of PET and CT. The functional information from PET is merged with the anatomical information from CT (Computed Tomography)into a single image. By combining these two scanning technologies, a PET/CT scan enables physicians to more accurately diagnose and identify cancer, heart disease and brain disorders. PET/CT can be used for the following:
Cancer
- To assess tumor aggressiveness
- To monitor success of therapy
- To detect early any recurrent tumors
- To provide a whole-body survey for cancer that may have spread
- To identify benign and malignant growths
Heart Disease
- To determine what heart tissue is still alive following a suspected heart attack
- To predict success of angioplasty (balloon) or bypass surgery
- To determine if coronary arteries are blocked
Brain Disorders
- To diagnose Alzheimer’s and other dementia
- To determine the location of epileptic seizures prior to surgery
- To diagnose movement disorders like Parkinson’s disease
What are the benefits of PET/CT?
- Information obtained from PET/CT examinations are unique and often unattainable using other imaging procedures
- For many diseases, PET/CT images yield the most useful information needed to make a diagnosis or to determine appropriate treatment
- Less expensive and may give more precise information than exploratory surgery
- May detect the early on-set of disease before it is evident on other imaging tests by identifying changes in the body at the cellular level
- The combined technologies of PET and Ct yield greater detail with a higher level of accuracy as both are performed at the same time; less room for error
- Greater convenience for patients; two exams at one sitting rather that two different times
Allied Diagnostics offers PET/CT at the Riyadh centre, Saudi Arabia.
