RöFo : Fortschritte auf dem Gebiete der Röntgenstrahlen und der Nuklearmedizin
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Pediatric imaging has been identified as a key application of combined whole-body PET/MRI. First studies have revealed the clinical feasibility and possible advantages of PET/MRI over PET/CT and MRI. Besides a significant reduction in radiation exposure of about 50 - 75 %, combined whole-body PET/MRI offers the diagnostic advantage of the multiparametric characterization of pathophysiologic processes and helps reduce the number of necessary imaging studies. However, very few studies focusing on pediatric PET/MRI have been published to date. Additional studies are necessary in order to fully appreciate the clinical impact of this novel method. This review article shall summarize the existing literature concerning pediatric PET/MRI and give insight into the practical experience derived from over 160 pediatric PET/MRI examinations that were performed in Tübingen. ⋯ •Combined PET/MR is a promising imaging modality in pediatric oncology. •Using combined PET/MRI, diagnostic radiation exposure of pediatric patients and the number of necessary imaging studies can be reduced. •Further clinical studies are necessary in order to define specific indications for combined PET/MRI in pediatric radiology.
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The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility of a fast protocol for whole-body diffusion-weighted imaging (WB-DWI) using a slice-accelerated echo-planar sequence, which, when using comparable image acquisition parameters, noticeably reduces measurement time compared to a conventional WB-DWI protocol. ⋯ •Whole-body diffusion-weighted imaging (WB-DWI) using simultaneous multi-slice and blipped-CAIPIRINHA reduces the measurement time strongly without having a significant impact on image quality. •The reduction in measurement time might strongly contribute to the clinical applicability of WB-DWI. •However, further refinement of the slice-accelerated EPI sequence, and the WB-DWI protocol applying this sequence type seems necessary; and the value of such WB-DWI protocols for assessment of systemic oncological diseases needs to be investigated in further clinical studies.