Christiaan Schiepers – författare

The field of nuclear medicine is undergoing rapid expansion, and is evolving into diagnostic molecular imaging. During recent years, dual-modality imaging with PET/CT has gained acceptance and this is currently the fastest-growing technique for oncological imaging applications. The glucose analogue FDG has held its place in diagnostic oncology, assessment of myocardial viability and diagnosis of neuro-degenerative disorders. Peptides have become even more important as imaging agents. The accuracy of hepatobiliary scintigraphy has been enhanced by cholecystokinin. The use of ACE inhibitors in the evaluation of renovascular hypertension has become the standard in renography. New instrumentation has led to faster scanners, and computer development to better image processing software. Automatic processing is more common, and standardization of protocols can be accomplished easily. The field of gene imaging has progressed, although routine clinical applications are not yet available.The present text, supplemented with many detailed and informative illustrations, represents an adjunct to the standard knowledge of diagnostic nuclear medicine and provides both the student and the professional with an overview of developments during the past decade.

1 Introduction Christian Schiepers went major revisions. A few were updated and had CONTENTS only minor revisions (Chaps. 4, 7 and 15,) and two 1. 1 Perspective 1 were left unchanged and re-printed from the first 1. 2 Objectives 2 edition. Our selection is aimed at elucidating key 1. 3 Clinical Overview 2 processes in cellular mechanisms of the human body, 1. 4 Basics of Diagnostic Nuclear Medicine 4 under normal conditions as well as in disease. 1. 5 Future Perspective 4 In the present revised volume of Diagnostic Nuclear 1. 1 Medicine, the advancements in the field of nuclear Perspective medicine (NM) are presented with an emphasis on progress in the beginning of this millennium. The NM started as a field where radioactive products name ‘molecular imaging’ is used more frequently were put to use for the benefit of mankind, e. g. t- for diagnostic NM imaging, but is not commonplace. roid scintigraphy and therapy. The performed stud- We will use the traditional term NM. The various ies in the field have fluctuated tremendously since contributions in this imaging field such as new trac- those early years. Flow imaging of the brain was a ers and equipment, modifications of existing tests, frequent procedure in the NM clinic until CT was diagnostic algorithms, and general applications for introduced. Later on, sophisticated triggering te- whole body imaging are discussed.