Positron Emission Tomography

Background

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a nuclear medicine test that provides a measurement of the metabolic activity of the cells in body tissues. Positron comes from the combination of English words “positive” and “electron.” The test is commonly called a “PET scan.” The first large-scale PET scanner was developed in the 1950s. ^, Currently, the test is usually performed along with a computed tomography (CT) scan, which involves the digital capture of images produced by combining data from several X-rays. See Chapter 17: Computed Tomography Scan for more details.