Doctors Check and Accurately Diagnose Conditions Through a PET Scan

A positron emission tomography scan, or PET scan, is an imaging test that lets doctors check the body for diseases and various other conditions. This process uses a special dye with radioactive tracers that is injected into a vein in the patient's arm. Once the tissues and the organs in the body have absorbed the tracer, it is then highlighted under a PET scanner. This will show the doctor how well your organs and tissues are working. A PET scan can measure oxygen use, blood flow, glucose metabolism, and much more. PET scans are also used in detecting a handful of diseases and brain conditions, such as the following:

Different Types of Dementia

PET scans, together with CT scans, are among the standard clinical tests conducted to detect and diagnose neurodegenerative disorders such as dementia. It is also used to evaluate the effectiveness of drug treatment in patients with dementia. Additionally, PET imaging using different tracers allow doctors in accurately diagnosing different dementing disorders.

Neurological Conditions

PET scans are widely used in diagnosing patients with neurological conditions, including Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and epilepsy. Parkinson's disease is a progressive disease affecting the nervous system, with symptoms such as experiencing fine tremor and muscle weakness, and having a peculiar type of gait. Huntington's disease is a hereditary disease that also affects the nervous system. Patients with Huntington's disease show signs of dementia, have an abnormal posture, and experience bizarre involuntary movements. Epilepsy is a brain disorder that involves recurrent seizures.

Different Forms of Cancer

PET/CT scans have become essential diagnostic tools that doctors use in checking the presence and severity of cancers. Once the source of the cancer has been determined, as well as whether it is contained in a specific area or has spread to other other organs, only then can the doctor prescribe an effective treatment strategy. Treatment options for cancer include surgery, systemic therapy, radiation therapy, or any combination of these options. Another PET/CT scan is done during the course of the treatment to check how effective treatment is, or to determine if switching to a different course of treatment is in order. A PET scan is done after treatment to check the success of the treatment.

Source:
Neurology and Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins Medicine