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Combined PET/MRI: Multi-modality Multi-parametric Imaging Is Here

Summary Report of the 4th International Workshop on PET/MR Imaging; February 23–27, 2015, Tübingen, Germany

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Abstract

This paper summarises key themes and discussions from the 4th international workshop dedicated to the advancement of the technical, scientific and clinical applications of combined positron emission tomography (PET)/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems that was held in Tübingen, Germany, from February 23 to 27, 2015. Specifically, we summarise the three days of invited presentations from active researchers in this and associated fields augmented by round table discussions and dialogue boards with specific topics. These include the use of PET/MRI in cardiovascular disease, paediatrics, oncology, neurology and multi-parametric imaging, the latter of which was suggested as a key promoting factor for the wider adoption of integrated PET/MRI. Discussions throughout the workshop and a poll taken on the final day demonstrated that attendees felt more strongly that PET/MRI has further advanced in both technical versatility and acceptance by clinical and research-driven users from the status quo of last year. Still, with only minimal evidence of progress made in exploiting the true complementary nature of the PET and MRI-based information, PET/MRI is still yet to achieve its potential. In that regard, the conclusion of last year’s meeting “the real work has just started” still holds true.

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Acknowledgments

We wish to thank all the participants for their active contribution at the 4th Tübingen Workshop on PET/MRI and for the lively discussions. In particular, we would like to acknowledge R. Boellard (Department of Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, VU University Medical Center Amsterdam, The Netherlands), F. Fahey (Boston Children’s Hospital, Department of Radiology, Boston, USA), D.-M. Koh (Functional Imaging, Royal Marsden Hospital, Surrey, UK) and B. R. Rosen (Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard University Medical School, Charlestown, USA), as well as C. Claussen, S. Bisdas, C. Brendle, U. Ernemann, S. Gatidis, A. Kolb, J. Kupferschläger, J. Machann, C. Pfannenberg, G. Reischl, F. Schick, H. Schmidt, C. Schraml, S.-C. Schüle and N. Schwenzer (University Department of Radiology, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Germany.

The workshop was endorsed by the following societies: European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST), EANM, European Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine and Biology (ESMRMB), European Society of Molecular Imaging (ESMI), European Institute for Biomedical Imaging Research (EIBIR), German Society of Nuclear Medicine (DGN), German Society of Radiology (DGR), Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) and World Molecular Imaging Society (WMIS).

We would further like to acknowledge the generous support of the workshop sponsors: Bayer HealthCare, GE Healthcare, Hermes Medical Solutions, Mediso Medical Imaging Systems, mim Software, Mirada Medical, Π.pmod Biomedical Image Quantification and RAPID Biomedical and Siemens Healthcare.

Conflict of Interest

Thomas Beyer is part of a Siemens collaboration activity that supports a PhD student for the duration of 2 years.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nuclear Medicine, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, Australia

    D. L. Bailey

  2. Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia

    D. L. Bailey

  3. Werner Siemens Imaging Center, Department of Preclinical Imaging and Radiopharmacy, Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen, Germany

    B. J. Pichler & H. F. Wehrl

  4. Department of Interventional and Diagnostic Radiology, Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen, Germany

    B. Gückel, K. Nikolaou & J. Schäfer

  5. Department of Nuclear Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany

    H. Barthel & O. Sabri

  6. Department of Nuclear Medicine, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany

    A. J. Beer

  7. Cardiothoracic Section, Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Basel Hospital, Basel, Switzerland

    J. Bremerich

  8. Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, UCLA, Los Angeles, USA

    J. Czernin

  9. Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany

    A. Drzezga

  10. Centre of Morphological and Molecular Diagnostics (ZeMoDi), MR- and PET/MRI; Centre of Nuclear Medicine and PET/CT, Bremen, Germany

    C. Franzius

  11. Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King’s College London, London, UK

    V. Goh

  12. Department of Radiology, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK

    V. Goh

  13. Division of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

    M. Hartenbach

  14. Department of Investigative Radiology, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center Research Institute, Osaka, Japan

    H. Iida

  15. Department of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine & PET and Cluster for Molecular Imaging, Rigshospitalet and University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

    A. Kjaer

  16. Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany

    C. la Fougère

  17. Department of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine and PET, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark

    C. N. Ladefoged & I. Law

  18. Erwin L. Hahn Institute for MR Imaging, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany

    H. H. Quick

  19. High Field and Hybrid MR-Imaging, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany

    H. H. Quick

  20. Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany

    M. Schäfers

  21. Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, General Hospital Vienna, Medical University Vienna, 4L, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria

    T. Beyer

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  1. D. L. Bailey
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  2. B. J. Pichler
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  3. B. Gückel
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  7. J. Czernin
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  8. A. Drzezga
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  9. C. Franzius
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  10. V. Goh
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  11. M. Hartenbach
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  13. A. Kjaer
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  14. C. la Fougère
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  15. C. N. Ladefoged
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  16. I. Law
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  17. K. Nikolaou
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  18. H. H. Quick
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  19. O. Sabri
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  20. J. Schäfer
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  21. M. Schäfers
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  22. H. F. Wehrl
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  23. T. Beyer
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to T. Beyer.

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Bailey, D.L., Pichler, B.J., Gückel, B. et al. Combined PET/MRI: Multi-modality Multi-parametric Imaging Is Here. Mol Imaging Biol 17, 595–608 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11307-015-0886-9

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