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European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
Published in: European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging 3/2005

01-03-2005 | Editorial

A plea for the elective inclusion of the brain in routine whole-body FDG PET

Authors: Tarik Belhocine, Stefan Markus Weiner, Ingo Brink, Peter Paul De Deyn, Jan Roland, Thierry Van der Borght, Patrick Flamen

Published in: European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging | Issue 3/2005

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Excerpt

In a famous article published in the 1991 April issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine, Henry N. Wagner announced: “Clinical PET; its time has come” [1]. During the 1990s, the added value of 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET) in the assessment of various kinds of cancers was firmly established [2]. In recent years, an increasing number of reports have also indicated the potential of metabolic imaging in patients with systemic inflammatory diseases [3]. Both clinical entities (i.e. cancer and inflammation) may have some neurotropism [4, 5]. In daily practice, however, no clear guidelines exist with regard to the limits of PET acquisition. As a rule, areas located outside the brain are systematically scanned in routine whole-body PET, while the incorporation of the brain varies considerably from one centre to another. In the present paper, we address some of the clinical reasons that may warrant the elective inclusion of the brain in routine whole-body FDG PET. We also suggest technical procedures that may help in implementing the acquisition of whole-body plus brain PET. …
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Metadata
Title
A plea for the elective inclusion of the brain in routine whole-body FDG PET
Authors
Tarik Belhocine
Stefan Markus Weiner
Ingo Brink
Peter Paul De Deyn
Jan Roland
Thierry Van der Borght
Patrick Flamen
Publication date
01-03-2005
Publisher
Springer-Verlag
Published in
European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging / Issue 3/2005
Print ISSN: 1619-7070
Electronic ISSN: 1619-7089
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-004-1729-0

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