01.03.2005 | Editorial
A plea for the elective inclusion of the brain in routine whole-body FDG PET
Erschienen in: European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging | Ausgabe 3/2005
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In a famous article published in the 1991 April issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine, Henry N. Wagner announced: “Clinical PET; its time has come” [1]. During the 1990s, the added value of 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET) in the assessment of various kinds of cancers was firmly established [2]. In recent years, an increasing number of reports have also indicated the potential of metabolic imaging in patients with systemic inflammatory diseases [3]. Both clinical entities (i.e. cancer and inflammation) may have some neurotropism [4, 5]. In daily practice, however, no clear guidelines exist with regard to the limits of PET acquisition. As a rule, areas located outside the brain are systematically scanned in routine whole-body PET, while the incorporation of the brain varies considerably from one centre to another. In the present paper, we address some of the clinical reasons that may warrant the elective inclusion of the brain in routine whole-body FDG PET. We also suggest technical procedures that may help in implementing the acquisition of whole-body plus brain PET. …Anzeige