RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Non-oncologic Applications of PET/CT and PET/MR in Musculoskeletal, Orthopedic, and Rheumatologic Imaging: General Considerations, Techniques, and Radiopharmaceuticals
JF Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
JO J. Nucl. Med. Technol.
FD Society of Nuclear Medicine
SP jnmt.117.198663
DO 10.2967/jnmt.117.198663
A1 Gholamrezanezhad, Ali
A1 Basques, Kyle
A1 Batouli, Ali
A1 Olyaie, Mojtaba
A1 Matcuk, George
A1 Alavi, Abass
A1 Jadvar, Hossein
YR 2017
UL http://tech.snmjournals.org/content/early/2017/11/08/jnmt.117.198663.abstract
AB Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is often underutilized in the field of musculoskeletal imaging, with key reasons including the excellent performance of conventional musculoskeletal MRI, the limited spatial resolution of PET, and the lack of reimbursement for PET for non-oncologic musculoskeletal indications. However, with improvements in PET/CT and PET/MR imaging over the last decade as well as an increased understanding of the pathophysiology of musculoskeletal diseases, there is an emerging potential for PET as a primary or complementary modality in the management of rheumatologic and orthopedic patients. Specific advantages of PET include the convenience of whole body imaging in a single session, the relative resilience of the modality in the imaging of metallic implants compared to CT and MRI, the ability to evaluate deep joints not amenable to palpation, and the potential for improved specificity of diagnosis with novel radiopharmaceuticals. In this review, we discuss multiple radiopharmaceuticals and technical consideration of PET/CT and PET/MRI that can be employed in imaging of non-tumoral bone and soft tissue disorders. Both PET/CT and PET/MR hold significant promise in the field of musculoskeletal imaging, and with further radiopharmaceutical development and clinical research, these hybrid modalities can potentially transform the current management of patients with orthopedic and rheumatologic disease.