PET/CT Scan

Offered at the Tampa Location

Drs. Schwartz and Rose standing next to the 16-slice PET/CT located in the Tampa office. Also shown are sample PET/CT images, showing a lung nodule taking up the F-18, FDG (radio-pharmaceutical), indicating lung carcinoma.

PET (Positron Emission Tomography)/CT (Computed Tomography) is a revolutionary diagnostic tool that provides functional diagnostic information that other imaging tests cannot provide. All other imaging studies only depict anatomy, but PET depicts function of human tissue. Our PET system is combined and fused to a 16/slice multi-detector CT, which provides exquisite anatomic detail. This combination of anatomic and functional information allows physicians to accurately pinpoint metabolically active tissue such as cancer or inflammation. It allows us to distinguish between benign and cancerous tissue at a very early stage.

PET/CT imaging can reveal metabolic abnormalities before any structural or anatomic abnormalities become present. Early detection often alters the course of medical decision-making and can have a major impact on patient outcomes. Thus, the combined PET/CT system unites two state of the art imaging modalities. The PET scan detects activity of actively growing cancer cells while the CT technology provides detailed anatomic information. This combination depicts the exact location of cancerous growths.

Our PET/CT is not only the world’s first and only OPEN PET/CT scanner, it is the most powerful and advanced PET/CT anywhere. This combination allows doctors to obtain a superior level of diagnostic ability without compromising patient comfort due to claustrophobia. In short, patients cannot get a more comfortable or more advanced PET/CT exam anywhere in the world.