Dear Molecular Imaging Insider,
The integration of PET with CT may turn out to be one of the biggest benefits to diagnostic medicine in the past decade. The modality has proven itself decisively as a new gold standard in oncologic imaging, and researchers are beginning to explore its capabilities in other clinical imaging areas.
A group of scientists from the nuclear cardiology department at the University Hospital of Zurich in Switzerland presented an evaluation of a promising new PET/CT method for the assessment of ischemic heart disease at the recent Society of Nuclear Medicine meeting.
The technique involves combining information from PET, which traces the flow of blood through the coronary arteries and into muscle tissue, with CT angiography performed with retrospective ECG gating. The resulting fused images provide a precise picture of both the anatomy and function of the heart.
The PET/CT technique was found to be reliable and effective at diagnosing coronary artery disease when compared with x-ray angiography, and more accurate than CT angiography alone. As a Molecular Imaging Insider subscriber, you have access to this story before it’s published for the rest of our AuntMinnie.com members. To read more about the use of PET/CT in coronary artery disease assessment, click here.
Finally, be sure to stop by and take a look at the recent updates in our online e-book Nuclear Medicine on the Internet, authored by Dr. Scott Williams of Advanced Radiology Consultants in Bridgeport, CT. You can check out Dr. Williams' most current postings by clicking here.
