The Role of PET/CT in Epilepsy

Most patients are able to control their epilepsy with medication. For those patients, PET/CT does not have a role in the management of their disease.

For patients whose seizures cannot be controlled by medication, surgery may be the best way to manage their epilepsy. In order for surgery to be effective, the seizures must originate from a small region of the brain that is sufficiently far away from critical structures. The role of PET/CT in these patients is to locate the source of the seizures.

PET/CT does this by making images of sugar consumption in the brain. During a seizure the part of the brain that initiates the seizure uses an enormous amount of sugar. Between seizures, that part of the brain consumes less sugar than normal. This is what we look for on the PET/CT.

More Information About Epilepsy

Epilepsy is devastating to both the patient and caregiver. Several organizations provide information and support to patients and their families, including: