What are PET scans used for?

• A. Measure brain temperature
• B. Visualize blood flow only
• C. Detect bone fractures
• D. Investigate heart problems and disease

Answer: (D)

PET scans measure metabolic activity in body tissues by using a radioactive tracer that acts like glucose. This lets us see how actively different areas are using energy, not just what they look like structurally. In the heart, healthy tissue takes up more tracer because it’s actively functioning, while damaged or scarred areas take up less. That makes PET especially useful for checking heart problems, evaluating blood flow, and determining tissue viability, which is why it’s a good fit for investigating heart disease. It isn’t about measuring temperature, so a choice about brain temperature isn’t correct. It doesn’t merely show blood flow; it images how tissues metabolize, so it’s broader than just blood flow. It isn’t used primarily to detect bone fractures, which are typically found with X-rays or bone scans.