Perfect and timely diagnosis is the key to good health. Best-of-breed technology
yields exceptional clinical outcomes for patients giving them the maximum
chance of recovery and staying healthy. You can now book your diagnostic
appointments online using Apollo edoc.
PET CT Scanner
PET (Positron Emission Tomography) is a medical imaging tool that
assists physicians in detecting diseases. Simply stated, PET scans produce
digital pictures that can, in many cases, identify various forms of cancer,
damaged heart tissue and brain disorders such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and
Epilepsy. Technically, PET is a medical imaging technology that images the
biology of disorders at the molecular level much before anatomical changes
become visible.
A PET scan is very different from an ultrasound,
X-Ray, MRI or CT, which detect changes in the body structure or anatomy, such
as a lesion (for example, a sizeable tumour) or musculoskeletal injury. A PET
scan can distinguish between benign and malignant disorders (or between alive
and dead tissue), unlike other imaging technologies that merely confirm the
presence of a mass.
A PET scan can, in many cases, identify diseases earlier and more specifically
than ultrasound, X-rays, CT or MRI.
PET can also help physicians monitor the treatment of the disease.
How does it work?
When the disease strikes, the biochemistry of our tissues and cells change. In Cancer, for example, cells begin to grow at
a much faster rate. A PET scan can take a digital picture of the abnormal cellular structure and sound the first warning
signal!
The most common form of a PET scan begins with the injection of a glucose-based
radio-pharmaceutical (FDG) that travels through the body, eventually collecting
in the organs and tissues targeted for examination. The patient lies flat on a
bed/table that moves incrementally through the PET scanner.
The scanner has cameras that detect the gamma rays emitted from
the patient and turns those into electrical signals that are processed by a
computer to generate medical images. The bed/table moves a few inches again and
the process is repeated.
This produces digital images that are assembled by the computer as a 3D image
of the patient's body. If an area is cancerous, signals are stronger than the
surrounding tissue, since more of the radio-pharmaceutical (FDG) is absorbed in
those areas.
*Service currently available only in Chennai, Delhi and Hyderabad
** All appointments on Apollo edoc
can only be booked upto 48 hours in advance. For assistance, call our Health
line 6600 1066.
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