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Rofo 2014; 186(12): 1094-1101
DOI: 10.1055/s-0034-1385009
Review
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Cardiovascular Hybrid Imaging using PET/MRI

Kardiovaskuläre Hybridbildgebung mit PET/MRT
Felix Nensa
  Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Essen
,
Thomas Schlosser
  Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Essen
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

03 March 2014

05 July 2014

Publication Date:
03 September 2014 (online)

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Abstract

The following overview provides a summary of the state of the art and research as well as potential clinical applications of cardiovascular PET/MR imaging. PET/MRI systems have been clinically available for a few years, and their use in cardiac imaging has been successfully demonstrated. At this period in time, some of the technical difficulties that arose at the beginning have been solved; in particular with respect to MRI-based attenuation correction, caution should be exercised with PET quantification. In addition, many promising technical options are still in the developmental stage, such as MRI-based motion correction of PET data resulting from simultaneous MR acquisition, and are not yet available for cardiovascular imaging. On the other hand, PET/MRI has been used to demonstrate significant pathologies such as acute and chronic myocardial infarction, myocarditis or cardiac sarcoidosis; future applications in clinical routine or within studies appear to be possible. In coming years additional studies will have to be performed to prove diagnostic gain at a reasonable cost-benefit ratio before valid conclusions are possible regarding the clinical utility and future of cardiovascular PET/MR imaging.

Key Points:

• The feasibility of cardiovascular PET/MRI has been successfully demonstrated and application in clinical routine is possible.

• Initial experience suggests added value of PET/MRI with FDG in pathologies like acute myocardial infarction, myocarditis, cardiac sarcoidosis and cardiac tumors.

• Technical improvements in the field of attenuation correction and MRI-based motion correction as well as new PET tracers could result in new applications for cardiovascular PET/MRI in next years.

Citation Format:

• Nensa Felix. Kardiovaskuläre Hybridbildgebung mit PET/MRT. Fortschr Röntgenstr 2014; 186: 1094 – 1101

Zusammenfassung

Die folgende Übersichtsarbeit gibt eine kurze Zusammenfassung zum Stand der Technik und Forschung sowie zu potentiellen klinischen Einsatzgebieten der kardiovaskulären PET/MRT Bildgebung. Nachdem PET/MRT Systeme seit wenigen Jahren klinisch verfügbar sind, konnte deren Einsatz bei der Herzbildgebung bereits erfolgreich demonstriert werden. Zum gegenwärtigen Zeitpunkt sind bereits einige technische Schwierigkeiten aus der Anfangszeit gelöst, wobei insbesondere in Bezug auf die MRT basierte Schwächungskorrektur weiterhin Vorsicht bei der PET Quantifizierung geboten ist. Auch befinden sich vielversprechende technische Möglichkeiten, wie die MRT-basierte Bewegungskorrektur der PET-Daten, die sich durch die simultane Akquisition ergeben, noch in einem frühen Entwicklungsstadium und sind noch nicht für die kardiovaskuläre Bildgebung verfügbar. Demgegenüber wurden bereits einige wichtige Pathologien, wie akute und chronische Herzinfarkte, Myokarditis oder kardiale Sarkoidose mittels PET/MRT dargestellt und zukünftige Anwendungen in der klinischen Routine oder innerhalb von Studien erscheinen möglich. In den nächsten Jahren werden weitere Studien zunächst einen diagnostischen Zugewinn bei vertretbarem Kosten-Nutzen-Verhältnis belegen müssen, bevor valide Aussagen zur klinischen Wertigkeit und Zukunft der kardiovaskulären PET/MRT Bildgebung möglich sind.

Key words

cardiac - heart - PET - MR-imaging - molecular imaging - radionuclide imaging

Deutscher Artikel/German Article

 

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