What a PET Scan Can Do for Conditions Characterized by Tissue Damage

PET or positron emission tomography scans are commonly used by doctors to determine changes to a patient’s body at the early stages of various diseases. The procedure uses radioactive tracers that organs and tissues absorb. A PET scanner then highlights these tracers, enabling doctors to track them and assess the current conditions and functions of bodily tissues.

Characterized by uncontrolled growth of malignant cells in the body, cancer is among the many conditions linked to failing body tissue. Similarly, such conditions as dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and epilepsy all signify tissue loss or damage in the brain.

The Risk of Malfunctioning Tissues

Malfunctioning tissues compromise any number of the body’s day-to-day functions. Connective tissues, for instance, bind the body’s structures, transport substances, and provide support and protection to organs. Nervous tissues, on the other hand, are like the workhorses of the brain and spine; they control and coordinate many of the body’s activities.  Simply put, malfunctioning tissues lead to weaker organ systems.

The Importance of PET Scans

A PET scan can indicate if the cells in tissues have begun hosting irregular pigments and fatty substances, have become rigid or enlarged, or have lost mass. They can show if cells have abnormal growths and tumors. Blood flow, oxygen intake, and metabolism – which a PET scan can all detect – are common measures of cell and tissue health.

Relative to other procedures such as CT or MR, PET scans can detect physiological changes earlier by six months to a year. For patients who are already undergoing therapy, the procedure is also particularly useful in determining if the body is responding to treatment.


Sources:

Positron Emission Tomography - Computed Tomography (PET/CT). RadiologyInfo.org.

Body Tissues. National Cancer Institute SEER Training Modules. 

Aging changes in organs - tissues – cells. U.S. National Library of Medicine.