PET and CT scans are medical imaging techniques that can create 3D images of the body’s internal structures. PET scans detect radioactive particles to show how the body functions, while CT scans use X-rays to create images of bone, muscle, and tissue. Using both scans together allows doctors to see both structure and function. However, CT scans cannot detect small tumors, and PET scans can be difficult to pinpoint exact problem areas.
PET and CAT scan technologies are types of medical imaging used to view different aspects of the inside of the body without the need for surgery. A positron emission tomography (PET) scan detects very weak radioactive particles that have been introduced into the body to show how different parts of the body function. A computed tomography (CT or CT) scan uses X-rays to create a collection of still images that can be combined by a computer to form a three-dimensional (3D) image of the body’s internal structures. While these are two very different forms of medical imaging, many times a PET and CAT scan will be used in tandem to get an accurate view of how the body works.
One difference between a PET and CAT scan is how the actual images are taken. A CT scan uses a refined version of an X-ray to pass rays through the body; those beams are then registered by sensors in the scanner. The bundles detect different densities of bone, muscle, and tissue. A computer then takes all the information and can display it as a sequence of frames moving along the axis of the body, or it can digitally stitch the images together and extrapolate a 3D image that can be manipulated and rotated by the doctor.
A PET scan uses a different method to acquire image data from the body. The first step is to inject the patient with very weak radioactive particles which are embedded in a substance designed to be absorbed into whatever part of the body it will be visualized. After a while, the body will have moved the radioactive particles to the target area. The PET scanner can detect particles and, like a CT scan, can create a 3D picture of the activity in the body. The resulting images do not show the physical structure of the body, but instead indicate how the chemical processes of a body work.
Using a PET and CAT scan together allows doctors to have a picture of the body that shows both bones and internal organs, as well as the movement of molecules within those structures. The PET scan shows how it works, so it can determine living tissue, cancerous areas and tumors. A CT scan, because it shows the shape of internal elements, can detect bone fractures, abnormal growths, and larger tumors.
PET and CAT scanning technologies have some disadvantages. A CT scan cannot detect abnormal growths and very small tumors. The downside to a PET scan is that because radioactive particles move around, it can sometimes be difficult to pinpoint exactly where the problem is. Regardless, the use of PET and CAT scanning has made it possible to detect and diagnose many types of diseases earlier than can be done with other methods.
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