24 Hours Before Your PET Scan: Three Preparation Tips for Patients

PET scan involves getting images of different parts of the body to look for diseases. Many factors can affect the accuracy of the results, so it is important for patients to be prepared accordingly. Doctors would normally ask you to watch what you eat or drink at least 24 hours before the scan. Here are some basic tips to help you.

Diagnosing Early Signs of CTE May Now Be Possible through an MRI Scan

Defined by medical experts as a progressive neurological disease that may be caused by repeated brain trauma, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, has been afflicting a number of former football players and changing their lives forever. Today, the only way of correctly diagnosing CTE is through a post mortem examination of a patient’s brain.

A recent research published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, however, suggests that an MRI scan may be viable in detecting CTE in its early stages.

PET Scan: A Critical and Effective Tool for Lung Cancer Diagnosis

PET scan stands for positron emission tomography scanning, and is a type of sophisticated medical imaging technique such as MRI and CT scans. This type of scan makes use of a radioactive tracer to identify changes in tissue on a molecular level. A PET scan can be used to look for cancer in the lymph nodes in the lungs. It can also reveal if the lung cancer has spread to other parts of the body.

The most common  radioactive tracer used in PET scans is called FDG-18, a radioactive version of glucose. When this tracer is introduced into the body, it acts as glucose does, and goes to areas where glucose should. FDG-18 is able to reveal cancer cells because these use glucose differently than normal cells.

For a more accurate lung cancer diagnosis, a PET scan is often followed by a CT scan. That said, there are actually machines that can do both scans simultaneously. In the case of early stage lung cancer, a PET scan can be used to identify if the cancer has spread to other areas, which can help determine if surgery is a viable option.

PET scans have no major side effects, and patients will not feel differently after the procedure. The only known side effect of PET scans is pretty minor, and this is the length of time needed to finish the procedure, as it often takes more than an hour. That said, after your PET scan has been completed, you are not “radioactive” and can have close proximity to others right away. You  may go back to your normal diet and activities immediately.

Sources:
PET scan, cancerresearchuk.org
PET scan for evaluation lung nodules, oncolink.org

Facts on Blood Vessel Malformation and the Use of MRI to Identify It

The circulatory system, which consists of your heart and blood vessels, is vital to the optimal function and survival of all the organs in your body. Any abnormality or obstruction in the flow of your blood can place certain tissues or organs at risk of deteriorating, which can lead to permanent damage. Therefore, defects in your blood vessels, namely the arteries, capillaries, and veins, can interfere in the circulation of your blood.

What is blood vessel malformation?

Also referred to as arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), blood vessel malformation is an abnormal connection between arteries and veins. AVMs are typically present at birth any may or may not be symptomatic at first, and it can begin anywhere in the body, even in the spinal cord and brain, which can cause neurologic symptoms, such as headaches and seizures.

How can you find out if you have this disease?

Infants with major blood vessel malformation may have a bluish tint to their skin due to the poor circulation. Moreover, the symptoms of the AVM will depend on the malformation’s location, size, risk factor for the AVM, and the type of blood vessel involved. For instance, AVMs in the chest or abdomen can lead to abdominal pain, chest pain, back pain, and irregular sounds of the affected vessels. On the other hand, AVMs in the brain can result in persistent headaches, memory lapses, confusion, and bleeding in the skull.

How can an MRI help in pinpointing the location of the malformation?

Blood vessel malformations are best imaged using a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan as it can clearly show tangles of blood vessels or lesions, which usually appear as flow voids. An MRI is a noninvasive and non-radioactive way of identifying and characterizing AVMs present in the body.

How can detecting the malformation help in treatments?

After detecting the AVM with an MRI, a physician can better decide on which treatment is best for the patient. Common treatments for blood vessel malformations include general surgery, medical therapy, endovascular neurosurgery (i.e. liquid tissue adhesives, micro coils, etc.), and stereotactic radiosurgery.

Source:

Brain Imaging in Arteriovenous Malformation, MedScape

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.

What Conditions Should You Inform Your Doctor About Before an MRI?

MRI or magnetic resonance imaging uses a combination of a powerful magnetic field, rapidly changing magnetic fields and radio waves to create organs and tissues in the body to help diagnose injuries or diseases. While MRIs often yield accurate results, patients may not be aware that certain conditions can affect the scan, or even distort the image. This is why it’s a good idea to disclose information regarding your health to your doctor beforehand. Here are some examples of conditions that can impact the scan.

PET Scan Information: What Patients Need to Know

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a type of nuclear imaging that produces a three-dimensional image of the inside of the body. This body scanning method makes use of a special material that contains radioactive tracers which are injected to the vein to be absorbed by organs and tissues. Under a PET scanner, the tracers show the doctor how well or how bad your organs and tissues are functioning. PET scans are often used to detect health issues such as cancer, brain disorders, heart problems, and damage to the central nervous system.
Unlike CT, MRI or other imaging tests, PET scans can reveal problems on the cellular level. This is critical because many diseases in their early stages involve cellular and not structural changes, which can be impossible for certain imaging tests to detect. MRI and CT scans detect structural changes exclusively, which means PET scans are better at diagnosing certain diseases earlier than either of them.

Though effective, PET scan procedures are not without risks. One major source of risk is the fact that they involve the use of radioactive tracers. That said, experts say that radiation levels are too low to impact the body’s normal processes, but pregnant women are advised not to undergo the procedure as radiation at any level can be harmful to developing fetuses.
Another downside of PET scans is that they are more expensive than an MRI or CT, which is why they often come in short supply and are provided only by the most caring and skilled body scanning service providers. PET scans are an important aspect in the maintenance of your health, so if your physician recommends it, make sure to have it done as soon as possible.


Sources:

PET Scan
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