Simultaneous MR/PET imaging of the human brain: feasibility study.
Schlemmer HP, Pichler BJ, Schmand M, Burbar Z, Michel C, Ladebeck R, Jattke K, Townsend D, Nahmias C, Jacob PK, Heiss WD, Claussen CD.
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University Hospital Tübingen, Hoppe-Seyler-Strasse 3, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany. heinz-peter.schlemmer@med.uni-tuebingen.de
The purpose of this study was to apply a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging-compatible positron emission tomographic (PET) detector technology for simultaneous MR/PET imaging of the human brain and skull base. The PET detector ring consists of lutetium oxyorthosilicate (LSO) scintillation crystals in combination with avalanche photodiodes (APDs) mounted in a clinical 3-T MR imager with use of the birdcage transmit/receive head coil. Following phantom studies, two patients were simultaneously examined by using fluorine 18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET and MR imaging and spectroscopy. MR/PET data enabled accurate coregistration of morphologic and multifunctional information. Simultaneous MR/PET imaging is feasible in humans, opening up new possibilities for the emerging field of molecular imaging. RSNA, 2008
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PMID: 18710991 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]