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A member asked:
Can a pet scan light up with an infection (lung nodule)?
15 doctors weighed in across 4 answers
Yes: Iflammation, sarcoid and of course cancer will show up on a pet/ct.
Answered 8/4/2018
5.5k views
Yes: Pet scans pick up cancer or inflammation. Many acute infections will light up pet, but the suv characteristics and the appearance of the nodule help the radiologists. Still.. Pet is not a perfect test and there may be uncertainty. Sometimes a biopsy is required to make a diagnosis.
Answered 1/13/2019
5.5k views
Yes: Pet scan identifies increased cellular metabolism. The suv is a measure of how metabolically active the nodule is. It does not diagnose the cause of the increased metabolism. Inflammation from any cause, including infection stimulates increased metabolism. It is important any lung nodule be thoroughly investigated and closely followed by a comprehensive thoracic team.
Answered 1/13/2019
5.3k views
Yes: Infectious, inflammatory, and malignant conditions can all light up on PET scan. There is overlap between SUV's in these conditions so there is no exact number where one can have a threshold between benign and malignant. If PET is negative, this usually means the nodule can be watched closely and no immediate biopsy is usually needed. CT characteristics of the nodule can also be helpful.
Answered 9/2/2019
2.4k views
Related Questions
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What is nodules into a bulla in the right lungs which recommend a pet scan?
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I'm taking a PET scan of my love tomorrow to check about a nodule on my lung they said I should not take any of my diabetes medicine could you tell me why please?
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A member asked:
If I've had a CT scan of mu lungs and there was a subpleural nodule found 6mm should I get a pet scan? And could this be cancerous?
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A member asked:
I have a 2 CM nodule and smaller nodules in my lungs. Will be getting a pet scan. How quickly will it spread if it's cancer?
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A member asked:
What to do if I have a 2cm nodule and smaller nodules in my lungs, going in tomorrow for a pet scan. if this is cancer, how quickly will it spread?
A doctor has provided 1 answer
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