Multi-technique hybrid imaging in PET/CT and PET/MR: what does the future hold?
Integrated positron-emission tomography and computed tomography (PET/CT) is one of the most important imaging techniques to have emerged in oncological practice in the last decade. Hybrid imaging, in general, remains a rapidly growing field, not only in developing countries, but also in western industrialised healthcare systems. A great deal of technological development and research is focused on improving hybrid imaging technology further and introducing new techniques, e.g., integrated PET and magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI). Additionally, there are several new PET tracers on the horizon, which have the potential to broaden clinical applications in hybrid imaging for diagnosis as well as therapy. This article aims to highlight some of the major technical and clinical advances that are currently taking place in PET/CT and PET/MRI that will potentially maintain the position of hybrid techniques at the forefront of medical imaging technologies.
Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland; University of Zurich, Switzerland.
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de Galiza Barbosa
Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland; GE Healthcare, Waukesha, WI, USA.
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Delso
Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland; University of Zurich, Switzerland.
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Ter Voert
Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland; University of Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Neuroradiology, University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland.
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Huellner
Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, United States; Department of Nuclear Medicine, Universitätsklinikum Würzburg, Oberdürrbacher, Str. 6, Würzburg, Germany.
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Herrmann
Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland; University of Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland. Electronic address: patrick.Veit-Haibach@usz.ch.
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Veit-Haibach
D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends*; D000072078:Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity