Question 1

i have severe  sudden-onset migraines that present with multiple symptoms. had normal mri/eeg. could a pet scan be helpful? i know something is wrong.

Accepted Answer

Probable not...: Pet scan is a very sensitive and pretty specific exam that detects cells that have an unusually high metabolic rate, such as cancer cells that are rapidly dividing, or areas of active inflammation. Most has, especially "migraine" type, are not due to cancer or infection, instead they result from alterations in blood flow. The very rare ha caused by a brain tumor would be easily detected by mri.

Question 2

my mom has colon ca and based on mri w/ contrast told she had 4 mets lesions in liver and 1 in pancreas. pet scan then came clear. is pet ever wrong?

Accepted Answer

PET better: PET when performed with CAT is extremely accurate since the CAT scan identifies areas on MRI but will light up when a shadow on the scan is truly malignant.  Lesions in the liver can be benign such as hemangiomas and a metastatic focus in pancreas is very rare.  I would repeat the MRI in 4 months to see if there is progression.  At the same time the best approach is removing the primary

Question 3

my 74 yr mother has had pet scan/ ct scan of the head bc shes forgetful, ct scans of the spine, chest,abdomen bc she fell, heart tests, countless blood work all normal. shes is too exhausted to do anything.going to see a hemotologist. what is wrong?

Accepted Answer

: Your post most likely describes Alzheimer's disease or normal pressure hydrocephalus, and repetitive falling is not unusual in either disorder.  Since you did not reveal the results of the imaging, not clear if any diagnosis has been confirmed on the PET scan.  Suggest an easy way to more fully get an evaluation is via a virtual consultation here at HT (www.connect@healthtap.com).

Question 4

what is a pet scan?

Accepted Answer

Sophisticated: Positron emission tomography----a pet scan is a very sophisticated scan of the body using injected radio-isotopic materials that are taken up by different body tissues and when scanned "light up" to help determine, usually, if there is cancer.  It has other purposes.

Question 5

what can a pet scan show?

Accepted Answer

Functioning: It is a functional test and shows which parts of the body are using the most glucose. This is an indirect measure of how active the cells are.

Question 6

what is a pet scan used for?

Accepted Answer

Cancer usually: The most common illnesses studied are various types of cancer. Frontal temporal lobe dementia can be differentiated from alzheimers disease from lewy body dementia also.

Question 7

how is a pet scan conducted?

Accepted Answer

Track a tracer: Pet scans make use of tracers,  radioactive compounds that bind to specific compounds of interest.  The tracer is injected and, after a few minutes, the pet scanner looks to see where the radioactivity has ended up, and is thereby able to see how much of the compound of interest is present, and where it is located.

Question 8

why do people get a pet scan?

Accepted Answer

Several reasons: Lung cancer, breast cancer, testicular and ovarian cancer, recurrent colorectal cancer, lymphoma, melanoma, recurrent brain tumors, tumor-therapy monitoring, and assessing effectiveness of treatments such as chemotherapy. 

Coronary artery disease and myocardial viability. 

Diagnosis of parkinson's, alzheimer's, huntington's, epilepsy, and stroke.

Question 9

can you interpret my pet scan?

Accepted Answer

Wrong site: This is the HealthTap public site where volunteer docs answer questions about health conditions. It does not offer consults or direct care to anyone. If you sign up for a premium HealthTap service like their Prime of Concierge services some of these features are possible. You must go through the proper site help center to access those services.

Question 10

what is pet scan of the heartbfor?

Accepted Answer

Test heart function: A heart positron emission tomography (pet) scan is an imaging test using a radioactive substance to look for disease or poor blood flow in the heart.  Unlike MRI or ct, which reveal the structure and blood flow to and from organs, a pet scan shows how organs and tissues are working. A heart pet scan can tell if areas of your heart muscle are receiving enough blood, if there is damage, or scarring.

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Doctor answers about:

Can pet scans be wrong

A member asked:

I have severe sudden-onset migraines that present with multiple symptoms. had normal mri/eeg. could a pet scan be helpful? i know something is wrong.

A member asked:

My mom has colon ca and based on mri w/ contrast told she had 4 mets lesions in liver and 1 in pancreas. pet scan then came clear. is pet ever wrong?

A member asked:

My 74 yr mother has had pet scan/ ct scan of the head bc shes forgetful, ct scans of the spine, chest,abdomen bc she fell, heart tests, countless blood work all normal. shes is too exhausted to do anything.going to see a hemotologist. what is wrong?

A member asked:

What is a pet scan?

A member asked:

What can a pet scan show?

A member asked:

What is a pet scan used for?

A member asked:

How is a pet scan conducted?

A member asked:

Why do people get a pet scan?

A member asked:

Can you interpret my pet scan?

A member asked:

What is pet scan of the heartbfor?

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