An American College of Radiology-accredited facility, the Morton A. Kreitchman Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Center of Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons is one of the nation’s foremost clinical and research PET and PET/CT facilities.
Click here to download the Columbia Kreitchman PET Center brochure in English.
Presione aquí para bajar archivo en Español del Columbia Kreitchman PET Center.
A powerful, versatile imaging tool, PET provides valuable diagnostic information for neurology, cardiology, and oncology. PET scans display color-coded images of the body's metabolic and chemical processes. Since virtually all diseases alter body chemistry, PET can often provide answers that cannot be reached using other imaging techniques. For example, by highlighting how cancer cells consume resources, PET can reveal cancer before structural changes appear with MRI.
 |
 |
| PET scan of the body. The darker regions correspond to areas with higher metabolic activity, such as the brain and bladder. |
PET scan of the brain. |
PET/CT is a dual-purpose imaging device that combines the metabolic or chemical information provided by PET with the precise anatomical imaging of CT (computed tomography).
 |
Images courtesy of Siemens. |
The PET image (above left) shows increased metabolic activity in the body through darkened "hot" spots. When PET is combined with CT (above right), that metabolic activity is placed in the context of anatomy. The hot areas at the bottom of the image correspond with the natural physiologic activity of the bladder and right kidney, while a suspicious mass is revealed in the patient's left lung. |
Since founding the Columbia Kreitchman PET Center in 1994, Director Ronald L. Van Heertum, MD has guided the expansion of its clinical and research activities. In addition to serving patients from around the greater New York area, PET Center radiologists often help interpret findings and provide training for other physicians. The Center jointly produces and distributes the isotope currently used in many PET scanners in the region. Researchers with the Center are also working to develop new isotopes that may expand the diagnostic capabilities of PET to new disorders.
In recognition of the Center's leadership in PET innovation, the Columbia Kreitchman PET Center was recently included in an $11 million NYSTAR grant from New York State. A PET/CT scanner was added to the Center in 2004.
Our bilingual (English-Spanish) staff and bilingual patient-education materials provide a critical communications bridge for the Spanish-speaking community. To learn more about the Columbia Kreitchman PET Center, click on the relevant area below:
|
Patients
