title: The future of hybrid imaging-part 2: PET/CT.
abstract: Since the 1990s, hybrid imaging by means of software and hardware image fusion alike allows the intrinsic combination of functional and anatomical image information. This review summarises the state-of-the-art of dual-modality imaging with a focus on clinical applications. We highlight selected areas for potential improvement of combined imaging technologies and new applications. In the second part, we briefly review the background of dual-modality PET/CT imaging, discuss its main applications and attempt to predict technological and methodological improvements of combined PET/CT imaging. After a decade of clinical evaluation, PET/CT will continue to have a significant impact on patient management, mainly in the area of oncological diseases. By adopting more innovative acquisition schemes and data processing PET/CT will become a fast and dose-efficient imaging method and an integral part of state-of-the-art clinical patient management.
authors.affiliation: cmi-experts GmbH, Pestalozzistr. 3, 8032, Zürich, Switzerland, thomas.beyer@cmi-experts.com.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Beyer
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Townsend
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Czernin
authors.forename: Lutz S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Freudenberg