PET/CT Bone Scan

Compared to regular nuclear medicine bone scans, recent clinical studies have shown that sodium fluoride PET/CT bone scans provide higher accuracy in the diagnosis of bone metastases and in differentiating benign from malignant lesions and, therefore, is used to detect and follow up bone metastases

Sodium fluoride bone scans are highly sensitive to variation in bone metabolism and can image the entire skeleton in one scan, making it very helpful in diagnosing a wide range of bone disorders.

How does a PET/CT Bone scan work?

PET/CT bone scans use F-18 sodium fluoride, a positron-emitting radiopharmaceutical to provide physiologic information of the bone. The radiopharmaceutical is absorbed by the bone tissues at sites of high bone turnover and remodeling, indicating molecular activity and increased blood flow to those areas. The physician uses this information to detect areas of abnormal bone growth associated with tumors or other abnormalities.