Emission tomography, a type of nuclear imaging, is extremely sensitive and may be used to study a wide range of physiological and pathological processes. The basis for nuclear imaging is the detection of gamma rays generated by radionuclides introduced into the organism. A PET/CT scan is a combination of a PET and a CT scan. PET scans use a small amount of a radioactive label; such as sugar to create pictures that illustrate how your body works (Wright et al., 2021). SPECT is an X-ray imaging technology that takes photographs of several organs in your body. Thanks to the technologies described above, doctors can give critical information to assist the patient’s doctor plan suitable therapy by integrating these two procedures in one scanning.
The key advantages of SPECT scanning are that it is far more accessible and extensively utilized than PET and is significantly less expensive. A gamma camera for a SPECT scanner has a high cost, whereas a PET-CT scanner costs approximately a few million (Dorbala et al., 2018). SPECT radiotracers have half-lives of up to six hours, providing for a lot of imaging time, whereas PET tracers only have a half-life of around 75 seconds. Single-photon emission computerized tomography radiotracers are also far less expensive and plentiful than PET radiotracers.
A radioactive tracer will be given to the patient or radiotracer. Radiotracers, such as glucose, are molecules that already have a radioactive isotope attached to them. Even though tumor cells expand more quickly than adjacent cells, they require a significant amount of glucose. Blood transports glucose throughout the patient, but it is absorbed preferentially at the target region, which preserves its isotope.
PET, or positron emission tomography, is a nuclear medicine imaging technique that uses minuscule quantities of radioactive materials to produce images. They must create a detailed representation of the human body. When combined with digital imaging, PET scanning is a powerful diagnostic technique that allows doctors to identify cancer, heart disease, and brain illnesses like Alzheimer’s. PET can also aid with disorders such as epilepsy and stroke and brain, lung, breast, esophagus, colon, pancreatic, ovary, musculoskeletal system, skin, and lymphatic system malignancies. Multiple diagnostic tests and unneeded biopsies and operations can be eliminated with such detailed, trustworthy data.
PET pictures are taken after a radiotracer has been administered. The radionuclide decomposes via antielectron emission as it collects in the tissue to be studied. The antielectron will collide with an electron after a few millimeters of travel, releasing two gamma rays in opposite directions (Zoller et al., 2019). These two photons are detected by a PET camera and are consistent with many rings of flash crystals. Based on several radioactive occurrences, statistical algorithms build a 3D depiction of the distribution of antielectron-emitting chemicals in the brain.
Two scans are better than one when identifying and treating sickness. As a result, PET, also known as SPECT, provides patients with a novel diagnostic technique that combines computed tomography (CT) with positron emission tomography (PET) (Das et al., 2020). Our mobile scanner integrates two of the most modern diagnostic processes in one device. PET/CT is a valuable ally in the battle against cancer, heart disease, and neurological problems since it allows us to spot tumors and malignancies with better accuracy than ever before. The scanner can also aid with epilepsy, stroke, and various malignancies, including those of the brain, lung, breast, esophagus, colon, pancreas, ovary, musculoskeletal system, skin, and lymphatic system.
References
Das, J. P., Yeh, R., & Schöder, H. (2020). Clinical utility of perfusion (Q)-single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)/CT for diagnosing pulmonary embolus (PE) in COVID-19 patients with a moderate to high pre-test probability of PE. European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, 48(3), 794–799. Web.
Dorbala, S., Ananthasubramaniam, K., Armstrong, I. S., Chareonthaitawee, P., DePuey, E. G., Einstein, A. J., Gropler, R. J., Holly, T. A., Mahmarian, J. J., Park, M. A., Polk, D. M., Russell, R., Slomka, P. J., Thompson, R. C., & Wells, R. G. (2018). Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) myocardial perfusion imaging guidelines: Instrumentation, acquisition, processing, and interpretation. Journal of Nuclear Cardiology, 25(5), 1784–1846. Web.
Wright, C. L., Miller, E. D., Contreras, C., & Knopp, M. V. (2021). Precision nuclear medicine. Radiologic Clinics of North America, 59(5), 755–772. Web.
Zoller, G., Hahn, H., & di Girolamo, N. (2019). Technological advances in diagnostic imaging in exotic pet medicine. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Exotic Animal Practice, 22(3), 397–417. Web.