title: Hybrid PET/MR imaging of the heart: potential, initial experiences, and future prospects.
abstract: PET/CT and other combined scanners have in the past decade rapidly emerged as important research tools and are proving to be invaluable for improved diagnostics in routine nuclear medicine. The design of hybrid PET/MR scanners presented a formidable technical challenge, and only recently were these instruments introduced to the market. Initial expectations of the performance of these scanners have been high, notably because of the potential for superior tissue contrast inherent in the MR modality, as well as the potential for multiparametric functional imaging in conjunction with PET. However, the additional value and potential clinical role that these new systems might bring to the cardiac field have yet to be documented. This review presents a comparative summary of the existing applications for PET and MR in the field of cardiology and suggests potential cardiac applications exploiting unique properties of the newly introduced combined instrumentation.
authors: Nuklearmedizinische Klinik und Poliklinik, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.
authors: Christoph
authors: C
authors: Rischpler
authors: Stephan G
authors: SG
authors: Nekolla
authors: Isabel
authors: I
authors: Dregely
authors: Markus
authors: M
authors: Schwaiger
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing; D006321:Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D064847:Multimodal Imaging; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D055414:Myocardial Perfusion Imaging / Q000379:methods; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed