Combined Head–Neck and Whole-Body Protocol
| Step | Details |
|---|---|
| Patient preparation | See Table 1 |
| CT overview scan (scout or topogram) | Covered area: head, neck, chest, abdomen, and middle of thighs |
| Dedicated head–neck CT scan | Patient position in scanner: head first, supine |
| Arms beside chest and abdomen as for conventional PET scan | |
| Positioning aids for knee or ankle | |
| Head fixation with vacuum-lock pillow | |
| Scan direction: craniocaudal | |
| Scan delay: 40 s after start of intravenous injection of 60 mL of contrast agent* | |
| Scan from above calvaria to upper chest, depending on covered body area, with 2 PET bed positions | |
| Tube current: 160 mA† | |
| Tube voltage: 130 kV† | |
| Slice thickness: 3 mm† | |
| Dedicated head–neck PET scan | Scan direction: caudocranial |
| Shallow breathing throughout scan | |
| Whole-body PET/CT scan* | See Table 1 |
| Scan area slightly overlapping that of head–neck scan |