Cat Scan Vs Mri Vs Pet Scan

A ct scan uses x rays.

Cat scan vs mri vs pet scan. What is the difference between mri and pet scans. The pet shows molecular function and activity not structure and therefore can often differentiate between normal and abnormal cancerous tumor or live versus dead tissue. Pet scans are typically used in conjunction with a ct scan or mri. The pet ct scan helps the physician to see the level of activity of certain body organs and tissues along with their structure.

Computed tomography ct scans on the other hand works much like an x ray only with greater 3d detail of the organs bones and tissues inside your body. Mri or ct scan is that it can show cellular level changes and issues with oxygen use glucose metabolism and blood flow that reveal medical problems at a very early stage. During the scan a narrow x ray beam circles your body taking a series of images from different angles. Two types of ct scans include.

This is the main difference between the ct and mri scans. Mri vs pet scan. While ct and mri scans. Doctors order ct scans or mri scans to help diagnose a wide range of medical conditions.

Mris however are thought to be superior in regards to the detail of the image. Pet scans provide metabolic information and are increasingly read alongside ct or mri magnetic resonance imaging scans which provide anatomic information. There is no radiation hazard risk for the patients undergoing an mri scan. A pet scan on the other hand is a procedure with a certain level of radiation involved.

Positron emission tomography pet ct scan. Lets compare them by potential hazard costs of the procedure and the time it takes to perform the procedure. Both types of scan have similar uses but they produce images in different ways. The main difference in a pet scan vs.

Ct scans are typically more expensive than x rays and arent always readily available at rural or small hospitals. A pet scan uses nuclear medicine imaging to produce a three dimensional picture of functional processes in the body.