What is the difference between a pet scan and a cat scan?

a cat (computerized axial tomography) scan gives a 3D image of the body by looking at horizontal "slices" of the body- so the organs can be viewed as they are spatially. It is a fancy version of a plain x-ray that just shows a view from one angle- everything on top of the other. A pet scan is different primarily in that it gives information about function, not just form. A solution of glucose molecules that have been "tagged" with a radioactive marker is injected into the patient through a vein. The glucose goes first and foremost to "sugar hungry" locations- for example the brain, or any malignancy that might be present in the body. The scanner then just scans for the location of concentrations of radioactivity and forms the image of the organs in this way. All pet scanners are not created equal- look for the best and probably the newest one in your area- some have more "rings"- and produce better, clearer images.Hope this helps a little.

A CAT or CT scan shows images, while a PET scan shows actual function processes.

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