Brain PET scan

A PET scan requires a small amount of radioactive material (tracer). This tracer is given through a vein (IV), usually on the inside of your elbow. Or, you breathe in the radioactive material as a gas. The tracer travels through your blood and collects in organs and tissues. The tracer helps your health care provider…

You may be asked not to eat anything for 4 to 6 hours before the scan. You will be able to drink water. Tell your provider if: You are afraid of close spaces (have claustrophobia). You may be given a medicine to help you feel sleepy and less anxious. You are pregnant or think you might be pregnant. You have any…

You may feel a sharp sting when the needle containing the tracer is placed into your vein. A PET scan causes no pain. The table may be hard or cold, but you can request a blanket or pillow. An intercom in the room allows you to speak to someone at any time. There is no recovery time unless you were given a medicine to…

A PET scan can show the size, shape, and function of the brain, so your doctor can make sure it is working as well as it should. It is most often used when other tests, such as MRI scan or CT scan, do not provide enough information. This test can be used to: Diagnose cancer Prepare for epilepsy surgery Help diagnose…

There are no problems detected in the size, shape, or function of the brain. There are no areas in which the tracer has abnormally collected.

Abnormal results may be due to: Alzheimer disease or dementia due to other health conditions Brain tumor or spread of cancer from another body area to the brain Epilepsy , and may identify where the seizures start in your brain Movement disorders (such as Parkinson disease )

The amount of radiation used in a PET scan is low. It is about the same amount of radiation as in most CT scans. Also, the radiation does not last for long in your body. Women who are pregnant or are breastfeeding should let their provider know before having this test. Infants and babies developing in the womb are…

It is possible to have false results on a PET scan. Blood sugar or insulin levels may affect the test results in people with diabetes . PET scans may be done along with a CT scan. This combination scan is called a PET/CT.

Barras CD, Bhattacharya JJ. Current status of imaging of the brain and anatomical features. In: Adam A, Dixon AK, Gillard JH, Schaefer-Prokop CM, eds. Grainger & Allison's Diagnostic Radiology . 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 53. Glaudemans AWJM, Israel O, Ben-Haim S, Slart RHJA. Vascular PET/CT and…