Positron Emmission Tomography

PET is the most advanced nuclear imaging technique. It provides superior resolution and allows for absolute quantification of biologic mechanisms. It is a specialty of Johns Hopkins, which now offers PET for clinical assessment of myocardial perfusion and viability.

A complete perfusion study with the FDA approved very short lived tracer Rubidium-82 (75 s half-life) is performed in 60 minutes and is especially useful in challenging cases (e.g. equivocal SPECT, morbid obesity).

PET cardiac studies are reimbursed by Medicare and most insurance plans.

The Next Generation

 PET/CT and SPECT/CT Hybrid Systems

Recent technical advances have resulted in the combination of SPECT or PET scanners together with X-ray computed tomography (CT) in a single camera system.  These hybrid systems yield maximum information and a complete set of pictures with a single noninvasive imaging study, by integrating functional information from nuclear imaging with morphologic information for CT.