title: PET/MRI: Multiparametric imaging of brain tumors.
abstract: A combination of morphological imaging of the brain with microstructural and functional imaging provides a comprehensive overview of the properties of individual tissues. While diffusion weighted imaging provides information about tissue cellularity, spectroscopic imaging allows us to evaluate the integrity of neurons and possible anaerobic glycolysis during tumor hypoxia, in addition to the presence of accelerated synthesis or degradation of cellular membranes; on the other hand, PET metabolic imaging is used to evaluate major metabolic pathways, determining the overall extent of the tumor (18F-FET,18F-FDOPA,18F-FCH) or the degree of differentiation (18F-FDG,18F-FLT,18F-FDOPA and18F-FET). Multi-parameter analysis of tissue characteristics and determination of the phenotype of the tumor tissue is a natural advantage of PET/MRI scanning. The disadvantages are higher cost and limited availability in all centers with neuro-oncology surgery. PET/MRI scanning of brain tumors is one of the most promising indications since the earliest experiments with integrated PET/MRI imaging systems, and along with hybrid imaging of neurodegenerative diseases, represent a new direction in the development of neuroradiology on the path towards comprehensive imaging at the molecular level.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of the Imaging Methods, University Hospital Plzen, Alej Svobody 80, 304 60 Plzeň, Czech Republic. Electronic address: ferda@fnplzen.cz.
authors.forename: Jiří
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ferda
authors.affiliation: Clinic of the Imaging Methods, University Hospital Plzen, Alej Svobody 80, 304 60 Plzeň, Czech Republic. Electronic address: ferdovae@fnplzen.cz.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ferdová
authors.affiliation: Sikl's Institute of Pathological Anatomy, University Hospital Plzen, Alej Svobody 80;304 60 Plzeň, Czech Republic. Electronic address: hes@fnplzen.cz.
authors.forename: Ondřej
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hes
authors.affiliation: Clinic of the Neurosurgery, University Hospital Plzen, Alej Svobody 80, 304 60 Plzeň, Czech Republic. Electronic address: mracekj@fnplzen.cz.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mraček
authors.affiliation: Clinic of the Imaging Methods, University Hospital Plzen, Alej Svobody 80, 304 60 Plzeň, Czech Republic. Electronic address: kreuzberg@fnplzen.cz.
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kreuzberg
authors.affiliation: Clinic of the Imaging Methods, University Hospital Plzen, Alej Svobody 80, 304 60 Plzeň, Czech Republic. Electronic address: baxaj@fnplzen.cz.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Baxa
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D064847:Multimodal Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals
keywords: Brain tumors; Hybrid imaging; Multiparametric imaging; PET/MRI; Positron emission tomography