PET-CT
Medical abbreviation · Medical Imaging
| Stands for | Positron emission tomography-computed tomography |
|---|---|
| Categories | Medical |
PET-CT stands for Positron emission tomography-computed tomography, a medical imaging abbreviation.
Hybrid scan on one machine that fuses metabolic PET images with anatomic CT images, so areas of tracer uptake can be pinned to specific organs and lymph nodes. It is the standard imaging test for staging and restaging lymphoma and lung, esophageal, head and neck and many other cancers.
Example: PET-CT after four cycles: complete metabolic response, Deauville score 2.
Usage notes
The first combined scanner was developed by David Townsend and Ronald Nutt in the late 1990s and reached the market in 2001. The CT portion corrects PET data for attenuation and can be low-dose or full diagnostic quality with contrast. Lymphoma response is scored on the five-point Deauville scale. Also written PET/CT.
Related abbreviations
More medical imaging abbreviations
- MRV – Magnetic resonance venography
- NCCT – Non-contrast computed tomography
- OPG – Orthopantomogram
- PA – Posteroanterior
- PACS – Picture archiving and communication system
- PET – Positron emission tomography
- PI-RADS – Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System
- POCUS – Point-of-care ultrasound
- SPECT – Single-photon emission computed tomography
- STIR – Short tau inversion recovery
- SUV – Standardized uptake value
- Tc-99m – Technetium-99m
See all 58 medical imaging abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.