PET / CT gated
What is it?
The introduction of modern PET/CT techniques allows today to perform these examinations using a technique called gated PET/CT.
This technique, available at the O.U. of Nuclear Medicine, allows to acquire PET and CT images synchronized with the respiratory cycle of the patient; the presence of an infrared camera that records the movement of the patient's chest during normal breathing, allows to record PET and CT images at different moments of the respiratory cycle in order to improve the evaluation of small lesions especially in the lung and liver. The natural respiratory movement causes in fact a spatial displacement of possible lesions to be metabolically defined in organs such as lung or liver; consequently, depending on the amplitude of the respiratory excursion, it causes a deterioration of the PET image acquired with conventional technique. The synchronization of the acquisition of PET and CT images with the patient's respiratory excursion, allows to correct the occurrence of any image artifacts with a more accurate metabolic characterization of small lesions.
When is this exam indicated?
The acquisition of the PET/CT study by means of the gated PET/CT technique is used when it is necessary to plan a radiotherapy treatment in the area of the organs involved in respiratory motion (e.g. pancreatic cancer).
How is it performed?
During PET acquisition an infrared camera is placed to record the excursion of the patient's chest during normal breathing, thus allowing PET and CT images to be recorded at different times of the respiratory cycle in order to improve the evaluation of small lesions especially in the lung and liver areas.
Contraindications
This examination cannot be performed in case of pregnancy and lactation.
Where do we treat it?
Our Departments
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