Cardiac PET/MRI
Osman Ratib

Synopsis

The development of hybrid PET/MRI imaging devices provides new perspectives in cardiovascular imaging. While these two imaging modalities (PET and MRI) have gained well-established diagnostic value in clinical practice, the ability to acquire both modalities in a single session opens new perspectives in workflow and in assessment and quantitative evaluation of cardiovascular diseases. The development of new PET tracer will certainly add to the value of clinical applications of hybrid PET/MRI in the futur

Target audience

This talk is intended to radiologists and cardiologists interested in hybrid and molecular imaging techniques applicable to cardiovascular investigations

Outcome/Objectives

The goal of this presentation is to report recent developments of PET/MRI hybrid imaging and its potential applications in cardiovascular imaging

Introduction and purpose

Both PET and MRI techniques have gained tremendous potential in clinical assessment of cardiac and cardiovascular diseases. While providing complementary information these two techniques are often both needed to answer specific questions and evaluate complex clinical presentations. The ability to acquire both imaging data from PET and MRI modalities offers a promising perspective for more efficient and potentially more accurate assessment of cardiovascular diseases.

Methods and techniques

This presentation will review the evolution and current state-of-the-art hybrid imaging technology applicable to cardiovascular imaging. Advantages and potential drawbacks of integrated hybrid PET/MR devices will be presented and discussed

Results

Several groups have already reported the benefits and positive results of acquiring multimodality imaging data on hybrid PET/MR devices in applications such as assessment of myocardial viability, quantitative evaluation of stress induced ischemia, myocardial regeneration and evaluation of inflammatory process in instable vascular plaques.

Discussion

Preliminary data suggest that acquisition of multimodality PET/MR can have a potential value in clinical practice, and provides more accurate and powerful support for clinical research. Developments of new PET tracers are expected to broaden the clinical application of this new hybrid imaging modality.

Conclusion

Clinical studies have shown the feasibility and potential added value of hybrid PET/MRI imaging over separate acquisitions of imaging data from each imaging modality. Further developments of PET tracers and more controlled clinical studies will better establish the applicability of this technique in clinical routine.

Acknowledgements

No acknowledgement found.

References

(1) Ratib, O., R. Nkoulou, and M. Schwaiger, Cardiovascular clinical applications of PET/MRI. Clin Transl Imaging, 2013. 1(1): p. 65-71.

(2) Ratib, O. and R. Nkoulou, Potential Applications of PET/MR Imaging in Cardiology. J Nucl Med, 2014. 55(Supplement 2): p. 40S-46S.



Proc. Intl. Soc. Mag. Reson. Med. 24 (2016)