Epilepsy and the application of PET Scan

This is an automatically translated article.

1. What is epilepsy?

Epilepsy, also known as epilepsy, is a disease of the nervous system, caused by repeated disturbances of certain neurons in the cerebral cortex producing many symptoms. disorders of the nervous system (epilepsy), such as convulsions, tongue biting, rolling eyes, foaming at the mouth, urinary incontinence ....
Signs of a seizure often vary from The duration is very short and is almost undetectable to monoepileptic seizures of long duration, accompanied by strong concussions. Seizures tend to recur in epilepsy and have no underlying cause. Seizures are not considered a symptom of epilepsy if a specific cause can be identified.
According to statistics, about 0.5% of the population of Vietnam has epilepsy, of which children account for 30%. Therefore, it can be seen that epilepsy is a fairly common disease in our country. Depending on the severity and condition of the patient, epilepsy will be treated for a short or long time.

2. Application of PET Scan for patients with epilepsy

For patients with epilepsy, PET scans are used to locate the part of the brain that is causing the seizures.
However, doctors may order PET scans for a variety of reasons. In addition to potential problems in the brain and spinal cord, this method can also be used to diagnose heart problems as well as certain types of cancer, including breast cancer, brain cancer, and cancer. lung , colon cancer , prostate cancer and lymphoma .

3. What preparation is required before performing PET Scan?

If the procedure is different, the doctor will guide you on how to prepare. Before the PET Scan, you will usually be asked not to eat anything for a few hours before the scan because food can make the PET Scan images worse. The PET Scan will be moved to another day if you miss a meal.
Therefore, it is very important to instruct the patient to focus on eating and drinking. Besides, within 24 hours before performing PET Scan, you need to avoid using stimulants such as beer, alcohol... Especially, if you have diabetes, the doctor will have special instructions for you. Tell you about how to prepare before the scan.
If you are pregnant or suspect that you are pregnant, you should consult your doctor before performing a PET Scan. You need to get enough breast milk within 6 hours of the scan if you are breastfeeding because otherwise you will not be able to breastfeed immediately afterwards and the milk will be contaminated with radiation. During the time the radiation is still in the body, parents should not hold or be near the child. The technicians will guide you in the most specific way.

4. How is PET Scan conducted?

Radioactive substances also known as natural tracer such as glucose, water or ammonia. To perform a PET Scan, the technician will introduce this radioactive substance into the body by infusion. When radioactive material enters the body, it travels to organs in the body, where the tracer is used for energy. Such as fluorodeoxyglucose (gluco FDG) - a radioactive drug that has been bound to glucose to form a radioactive tracer. The tracer travels to tissues where glucose is used for energy once it enters the body.
Perform PET Scan to detect the energy released by position particles. These are small particles that are formed when radioactive material breaks down in the body. Position particles will form gamma rays when they are broken. The scanner will detect these gamma rays and will create a three-dimensional image. Whether the functioning of the organs in the body is abnormal or overactive will be detected through the resulting images.
The resulting PET image has different colors and brightnesses by different layers of position particles. Research shows that some organs in the body break down natural chemicals like glucose faster than others. Since most cancer cells use more glucose than other normal tissues, PET Scan is especially useful in detecting cancer cells.
Areas where large amounts of radioactive tracer accumulate will have more signal. Areas with less signal are where less radioactive tracer is concentrated. The doctor will rely on the obtained PET images to determine the patient's health status.

5. Risks when performing PET Scan

You will not feel any effects of the X-rays and you will be discharged soon after the PET Scan is done because the radiation exposure is very low. However, after completing the PET Scan, you should drink plenty of water to flush the radioactive drugs out of your body. Within 3 hours after oral administration, all the tracer in the complex of radioactive tracer will be eliminated from the body naturally.
Many people are very nervous when doing PET Scan because this method uses radioactive substances. However, in practice, the radioactive substances used in the PET Scan are determined to be at safe levels. Besides, they will also be eliminated from the body quickly through urine. The amount of radiation you receive during a PET Scan is very small.
When performing PET Scan, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, there is a risk of radiation contamination to your baby. For children, even a small amount of radiation can cause damage. The most important thing is to tell your doctor right away if you are pregnant or breastfeeding before having a PET Scan.
Currently, PET Scan is widely applied and gives more detailed images than other similar diagnostic methods available. Usually, after a day or two of the PET Scan, you will receive the results.
Currently, Vinmec International General Hospital has become a leading prestigious address in disease screening with modern techniques, proud to be the first private hospital in Vietnam to deploy this technique. Modern and accurate diagnosis with the most modern 128-sequence PET/CT system in Southeast Asia, for accurate images and short imaging time, the team of doctors are leading experts with high expertise and rich experience. Experience creates trust for customers when experiencing medical examination and treatment services at Vinmec.

Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.

Reference source: webmd.com