title: Multimodality fusion imaging in abdominal and pelvic malignancies: current applications and future perspectives.
abstract: Medicine is evolving toward personalized care and this development entails the integration, amalgamation, and synchronized analysis of data from multiple sources. Multimodality fusion imaging refers to the simultaneous visualization of spatially aligned and juxtaposed medical images obtained by two or more image modalities. PET/MRI scanners and MMFI platforms are able to improve the diagnostic workflow in oncologic patients and provide exquisite images that aid physicians in the molecular profiling and characterization of tissues. Advanced navigation platforms involving real-time ultrasound are promising tools for guiding personalized and tailored mini-invasive interventional procedures on technically challenging targets. The main objective of the present essay was to describe the current applications and future perspectives of multimodality fusion imaging for both diagnostic and interventional purposes in the field of abdominal and pelvic malignancies. We also outlined the technical differences between fusion imaging achieved by means of simultaneous bimodal acquisition (i.e., integrated PET/MRI scanners), retrospective co-registration, and multimodality fusion imaging involving ultrafast or real-time imaging modalities.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Radiology, E.O. Ospedali Galliera, Mura della Cappuccine 14, 16128, Genoa, Italy. francesco.paparo.ge@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Paparo
authors.affiliation: Nuclear Medicine Unit, E.O. Ospedali Galliera, Mura della Cappuccine 14, 16128, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Arnoldo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Piccardo
authors.affiliation: Unit of Radiology, E.O. Ospedali Galliera, Mura della Cappuccine 14, 16128, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bacigalupo
authors.affiliation: Unit of Radiology, E.O. Ospedali Galliera, Mura della Cappuccine 14, 16128, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Piccazzo
authors.affiliation: Unit of Radiology, E.O. Ospedali Galliera, Mura della Cappuccine 14, 16128, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Ludovica
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rollandi
authors.affiliation: Unit of Radiology, E.O. Ospedali Galliera, Mura della Cappuccine 14, 16128, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Athena
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Galletto Pregliasco
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Hepatobiliary Surgery, E.O. Ospedali Galliera, Mura della Cappuccine 14, 16128, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Filauro
authors.affiliation: Unit of Oncology, E.O. Ospedali Galliera, Mura della Cappuccine 14, 16128, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: DeCensi
authors.affiliation: Unit of Radiology, E.O. Ospedali Galliera, Mura della Cappuccine 14, 16128, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Gian Andrea
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Rollandi
mesh_terms: D000008:Abdominal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D064847:Multimodal Imaging / Q000379:methods; D010386:Pelvic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*
keywords: Choline; Fusion imaging; Magnetic resonance imaging; Navigation; Positron emission tomography