Friday , March 29 2024

Combined CT/PET Outpaces Individual Tests By Leaps and Bounds

Certain injuries, diseases and disorders involve analyzing both internal structures and the function of specific systems. To do this, doctors use computerized tomography (CT), which combines a series of x-ray images taken from different angles to create cross-sectional images of interior tissues, bones and blood vessels. CT provides more detail and clarity than traditional x-ray, for better views and more information for planning medical treatment.
To analyze bodily functions such as blood flow, glucose metabolism and oxygen use, doctors use Positron Emission Tomography (PET), a nuclear medicine that displays specific systems and how well they are operating. Its ability to capture how a system is performing as a whole makes it useful in diagnosing specific systemic diseases and dysfunctions.
In the past, patients underwent these diagnostic exams separately, but now there’s PET/CT, which combines both scans in one of the most comprehensive and advanced systems ever created. Not only is it more convenient, PET/CT is more accurate than the two tests performed independently. Its multidimensional images identify the location of abnormal metabolic activity to help pinpoint pre-cancers and cancers even in their earliest stages, as well as stroke damage, seizure disorders, Alzheimer’s, and a host of other diseases.

Combined CT/PET Outpaces Individual Tests
Ralf R. Barckhausen, MD, Malcolm E. Williamson, II, MD and Fredric C. Wollett, MD
RAO’s Board Certified PET/CT specialists use the advanced Siemens biography PET/CT scanner with an LSO crystal for tremendous speed and accuracy. “Combining these tests reduces the incidence of inconclusive data and repeat testing,” says radiologist Dr. Malcolm Williamson.
“It not only saves time, it also provides more complete complimentary information, strengthening the probability of early detection and reducing the chances of stressful false alarms,” says radiologist Dr. Ralf Barckhausen.
“Because all images are digitally stored, they can be shared with a patient’s primary care physician or specialist in seconds,” says Dr. Fredric Wollett. Scans can also be sent instantly to all Marion County hospitals and RAO outpatient centers to ensure the most rapid and well-coordinated medical planning and care.
For advanced PET/CT diagnostic services, as well as breast imaging, musculoskeletal radiology, neuroradiology and vascular and interventional radiology, the name to know is RAO.
For more information, call RAO’s Medical Imaging Center at Windsor Oaks at 352-671-4300 or visit www.RAOcala.com.

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