PET

What is a PET scan?

A PET scan (Positron Emission Tomography) is a nuclear medicine examination that shows how the brain uses energy.
With this technique, we can see which areas of the brain are active and which areas show reduced activity.
This can help us understand whether there are parts of the brain that may be related to your child’s epilepsy.

A PET scan is completely painless and has been used safely in children for many years.

Preparation: the radioactive tracer

Before the scan, your child receives an intravenous injection (a small needle in a blood vessel) with a very low and safe dose of radioactive tracer.

• This substance is taken up by the brain.
• It gives off a very small amount of signal that the camera can detect during the scan.
• The tracer is removed naturally by the body and disappears quickly.
• The radiation dose is small and is considered safe for children by international standards.

How does the PET scan work?

The examination takes place in a quiet and child‑friendly environment.

1. After the injection, your child rests for a short time so the tracer can spread through the body.
2. Your child then lies on a scanning table, which slowly moves into the PET scanner.
3. It is very important that your child lies as still as possible so that the images are clear and reliable.

The scan itself usually takes 30 to 60 minutes.

Parents can usually stay with their child until just before the scan starts, depending on the safety rules of the nuclear medicine department.

What happens after the scan?

After the scan, your child can go home, or return to the ward if the hospital stay is still ongoing.

The images are not discussed immediately, because they must first be reviewed carefully by:

• nuclear medicine physicians,
• neuroradiologists,
• and later the full multidisciplinary epilepsy team.

PET results are always interpreted together with other tests such as EEG, video‑EEG, MRI, and sometimes SPECT or SEEG.
This gives the team the most complete picture of your child’s epilepsy.

What does a PET scan teach us?

A PET scan can:

• show areas with reduced brain activity,
• indicate whether a particular brain region might be involved in the seizures,
• provide important information for surgical planning, especially in children whose epilepsy is difficult to treat.

The PET scan is therefore a valuable part of the comprehensive epilepsy evaluation process.