POSSITRON EMISSION TOMOGRAPHY - WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER

Abstract

Possitron emission tomography (PET) is still new in Lituania non-invasive nuclear imaging technique. PET scan provide information about metabolic activity of tissue in vivo, in contrast to other imaging modalities showing its morphology. There are a lot of physiological conditions and benign processes that can induce the metabolism of glucose and reduce the speci"city of the 18F-FDG PET. This is the reason why the anamnesis and clinical data are essential for the evaluation of the PET scans. The diagnostic value also depends on appropriate preparation of the patient. PET can change the management of the disease, but it can’t replace other radiological, instrumental and histological examinations.