Health Organization for Pudendal Education

Hi all,

My doctor is asking me take a PET Scan for PN. Has anyone any info about this scan and PN? Has it ever been used for NP? I googled it and came up with some results for trigeminal neuralgia... I'm an Englishman living in France, by the way.

Much love
Al

Hi Al,
Just so you are not left hanging, I do not recall a PETscan being used to diagnose PN/PNE but I am sure if someone knows they will chime in. Take Care
Janet

Sorry Al it is not something I have heard about for PN. Anyone else?
Helen

Hi Alex,


My limited understanding og a pet scan is that it is a more sophisticated form of mri. We do have a few in the UK as Ithink ultimtely they are the next generation in scanning technology.

Whether or not they will be of any use fot pne Idon,t know. Dr Greenslade to my knowledge has not ordrered one and there is a machine in Cheltenham so not too far for west country people to go. This may be due to financial restraints but Isuspect it is more likely to do with whether or not it would yield any useful information. Having said that the french are one of the leading nations with regards to pelvic issues, so maybe it will be helpful.

Sorry Idon,t think that answered your question, just my thoughts.

Regards Molly

Thanks everyone. My PN specialist in France has just told me that the PET Scannwould not bring us any new information at all. So, perhaps there is something to mull over there.

Al
x

Alex, I have never heard of a PEN scan being used to diagnose PNE. Here is some good info on the difference between a PET scan and an MRI or CT scan.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency ... 003827.htm
http://tinyurl.com/4psdtl4

Unlike magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT), which reveal the structure of and blood flow to and from organs, a PET scan shows how organs and tissues are working.

The only thing I can think of that might show up on a PET scan of the pudendal nerve area that wouldn't show up on an MRI is that the radioactive tracer traveling through the pudendal blood vessels might show up and since they travel alongside the nerve, if it shows they are enlarged near the ligaments it could possibly mean there is a compression of the blood vessel by the ligament. If the blood vessel is compressed, the nerve may be also. But I'm not an expert on this subject and this is all just speculation on my part. I know that some docs use dopplar studies to determine the blood flow through the pudendal blood vessels and to assist in the diagnosis of PNE. Here's a publication on it.

http://www.pudendalhope.info/sites/defa ... oppler.pdf

Violet