PET scan

American  

[pet skan] / ˈpɛt ˌskæn /

noun

Computers, Medicine/Medical.

1. an image obtained by positron emission tomography, using a PET scanner.

2. an examination performed with a PET scanner.

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PET scan Scientific  

/ pĕt /

1. Short for positron emission tomography scan. A cross-sectional image of a metabolic process in a human or animal body produced by positron emission tomography.

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PET scan Cultural  

1. Acronym for p ositron e mission t omography, a medical test that is especially useful in showing how tissue or an organ is functioning, as opposed to just showing structure. In a PET scan, radioactive atoms are introduced into the body, where their chemical behavior is exactly the same as similar nonradioactive atoms. The positrons emitted when these nuclei decay collide with electrons in surrounding tissue, producing gamma rays that can then be detected by instruments outside the body.

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Discover More

A PET scan can show the blood flow through the brain, areas of high metabolic activity that indicate potential tumors, as well as areas of damaged heart tissue.

Etymology

Origin of PET scan

First recorded in 1975–80; PET ( def. ) + scan ( def. )

Example Sentences

Through a PET scan and spinal tap, I saw the sticky, abnormal plaques associated with the disease building up in my brain.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 3, 2026

But on Tuesday, Coulier told Today: "In October of this year, I went in for a PET scan, just a routine check-up and something flared on the PET scan."

From BBC • Dec. 2, 2025

Other questioners wondered if Galleri’s performance had been inflated, because the study followed up an initial positive blood test with a full-body PET scan.

From Barron's • Oct. 22, 2025

Some of the participants had detectable brain amyloid buildup as measured by PET scan.

From Science Daily • Mar. 11, 2024

But one key difference is that a PET scan lets researchers look at various neurotransmitters, and cellular activity—a power unimaginable just a few generations ago.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel