What is the difference between mri ct and pet scans

A CT scan produces a detailed 3-D image of the inside of your body. This type of scan is often prescribed to check for abnormalities in the brain, spine, neck, chest or abdomen. By looking at CT scan images, your doctor can evaluate hard tissues, such as your bones, and soft tissues, such as your muscles and organs.

This means a CT scan will show everything from a bone fracture to a tumor. CT scans are common procedures in hospitals and imaging centers because they allow doctors to make critical medical decisions fast. They are especially helpful tools to check for life-threatening conditions quickly.

This allows a doctor to check for organ injuries, bone fractures and internal bleeding. You might think of a CT scan as a much more detailed x-ray. A CT scan machine uses multiple x-ray beams to capture images of the body from different angles. To undergo the procedure, a patient will usually lie flat on an exam table. The table will then move through the CT scan machine as it takes images. The scanning process usually takes a few minutes. Some patients may need to ingest a contrast material before the scan, either by drinking the substance or receiving it intravenously.

The contrast is a dye that highlights the areas being examined so doctors can see them more clearly. Although CT scans are a simple, painless procedure, technologists aim to perform the scan quickly. Radiologists understand these limits, though, and consult with any patient who might need these procedures. Instead, it relies on a combination of magnetic force and radio waves.

These combine to produce a different type of image than what X-ray technology creates. MRIs and X-rays are similar, however, in the sorts of disorders they can help identify. Because MRI tests are effective for injuries like torn ligaments or broken bones, they are often used as a testing measure in professional sports. They can even be used as a follow-up to an X-ray or CT scan to help your doctor see more detail. Positron emission tomography, or a PET scan, is a form of imaging which uses small particles entered into the bloodstream as a way to view bodily organs.

The flow of blood within the body is used as the delivery mechanism. During a PET scan, your radiologist will inject liquid containing small amounts of radiation into a vein, where it then spreads throughout the bloodstream. Because blood usually collects near affected organs in the body, most of this liquid will do the same.

From there, your radiologist will pass a scanner over the body which is programmed to pick up radiation in the blood. The images produced are then transmitted to a computer for viewing. This test is just what it sounds like: it combines the images provided by PET scans and CT scans to give a more accurate picture. PET-CT scans are common for cancer identification. Magnetic resonance imaging MRI also takes detailed pictures of internal organs — but instead of using X-ray technology, an MRI uses powerful magnets, radio waves, and computer technology to create its images.

It may be used with or without a contrast dye to see internal structures more clearly. During the MRI, you lay within a tube-like machine that produces a strong magnetic field to create its images, which are processed and stored in a computer. There is no radiation used during an MRI. The test your doctor recommends for you will depend on your specific needs.

Each of the three are safe but have different advantages. The experts at Independent Imaging include highly qualified radiologists and certified radiology technicians in Palm Beach County. Our imaging centers are all duly accredited by the American College of Radiology. We are here to provide safe, low-dose, and tailor-fit imaging procedures for your health care needs. If you need to undergo an imaging test, feel free to call us today to schedule an appointment at or use our appointment request form now.

We are looking forward to helping you.