Questions about PET Scan (Positron Emission Tomography)
PET Scan — Multiple Choice Questions
1. What does the abbreviation "PET" stand for in medical imaging?
A) Proton Emission Tomography
B) Positron Emission Tomography
C) Photon Emission Tracking
D) Positron Energy Technique
E) Photoelectric Tomography
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2. What type of radiation does a PET scan detect?
A) Alpha particles
B) Beta particles
C) Gamma rays
D) X-rays
E) Infrared
3. Which type of radioactive particle is emitted by the tracer in PET scans?
A) Neutron
B) Electron
C) Positron
D) Proton
E) Photon
4. What is commonly used as a tracer in PET scans?
A) Iodine-131
B) Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)
C) Technetium-99m
D) Cobalt-60
E) Carbon monoxide
5. What is the primary purpose of a PET scan?
A) Imaging bones
B) Viewing blood vessels
C) Detecting functional changes in tissues
D) Measuring skin density
E) Visualizing bone fractures
6. In which medical field are PET scans most commonly used?
A) Dermatology
B) Cardiology
C) Oncology
D) Orthopedics
E) Gastroenterology
7. How does a PET scan generate images of the body?
A) X-ray attenuation
B) Sound waves
C) Magnetic resonance
D) Gamma rays from annihilation events
E) Reflection of infrared light
8. What happens when a positron emitted from a tracer meets an electron?
A) Alpha decay
B) Annihilation and release of gamma photons
C) Beta decay
D) Emission of X-rays
E) Nuclear fission
9. What type of scan is often combined with PET to provide detailed structural information?
A) MRI
B) Ultrasound
C) X-ray
D) CT
E) Endoscopy
10. Which body organ absorbs the most FDG if healthy?
A) Lungs
B) Kidneys
C) Brain
D) Liver
E) Pancreas
11. What characteristic of cancer cells makes PET effective in detecting tumors?
A) High water content
B) High glucose uptake
C) Low oxygen concentration
D) Fast protein synthesis
E) Large size
12. Why is fluorine-18 often used in PET scans?
A) It glows under UV light
B) It emits alpha radiation
C) It has a short half-life and emits positrons
D) It is magnetic
E) It binds directly to DNA
13. How long does the radioactive tracer usually remain active in the body?
A) A few seconds
B) Several weeks
C) A few hours
D) 10 days
E) Indefinitely
14. Which patient preparation is typically required before a PET scan?
A) High-fat meal
B) Drink contrast liquid
C) Fasting for several hours
D) Light exercise
E) Inhalation of vapor
15. Which of the following is a limitation of PET scanning?
A) Cannot detect soft tissue
B) Poor image resolution
C) Involves radioactive exposure
D) Requires sedation
E) Only used in children
16. What is the typical half-life of Fluorine-18 used in FDG?
A) 2 minutes
B) 6 hours
C) 110 minutes
D) 10 days
E) 1 year
17. PET scans are particularly useful in detecting recurrence of which disease?
A) Tuberculosis
B) Cancer
C) Common cold
D) Osteoporosis
E) Arthritis
18. What system collects the data in a PET scanner?
A) X-ray detector
B) Scintillation crystal and photodetector array
C) Magnetic coils
D) Sound sensors
E) Electron microscope
19. Which of the following body systems is commonly assessed by PET scans in neurological studies?
A) Skeletal
B) Muscular
C) Circulatory
D) Nervous
E) Digestive
20. What physical principle allows PET scans to determine the origin of positron emissions?
A) Doppler effect
B) Echo location
C) Triangulation of gamma photons from annihilation
D) Thermal conduction
E) Static electricity
- Questions about Detection of Radioactivity
- Questions about Background Radiation
- Questions about the Effects of Radiation
Answers with Extended Explanations
1. B – PET = Positron Emission Tomography, used to image functional processes.
2. C – PET scans detect gamma rays from positron-electron annihilation.
3. C – PET tracers emit positrons, which are antimatter counterparts of electrons.
4. B – FDG (fluorodeoxyglucose) is a glucose analog labeled with fluorine-18.
5. C – PET scans show metabolic activity and function, not just structure.
6. C – Oncology uses PET extensively to detect and monitor cancer.
7. D – Gamma rays are detected when positrons collide with electrons in tissues.
8. B – Positron-electron annihilation results in gamma photon emission.
9. D – PET/CT is a common combination: PET shows function, CT shows anatomy.
10. C – The brain has high glucose use, so it absorbs FDG quickly.
11. B – Cancer cells use more glucose, so they take in more FDG, lighting up on scans.
12. C – Fluorine-18 has a short half-life and emits positrons, ideal for PET.
13. C – The tracer is generally active for a few hours due to the short half-life.
14. C – Patients fast before the scan to lower background glucose levels.
15. C – PET involves exposure to radioactive materials (though minimal).
16. C – The half-life of F-18 is approximately 110 minutes.
17. B – PET is highly effective in identifying cancer and recurrences.
18. B – PET uses scintillation detectors and photomultiplier tubes to collect data.
19. D – PET is widely used in brain studies (e.g., Alzheimer’s, epilepsy).
20. C – The gamma rays produced travel in opposite directions and are triangulated to locate events
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