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Dual-Modality Imaging: Combining Anatomy and Function^*

Department of Medicine and Radiology, University of Tennessee Medical Center, Knoxville Tennessee

Correspondence: For correspondence or reprints contact: David W. Townsend, Department of Medicine, University of Tennessee Medical Center, 1924 Alcoa Hwy., Knoxville TN 37920. E-mail: dtownsend{at}mc.utmck.edu

The extensive development of image fusion techniques over the past 20 y has shown that the fusion of images from complementary modalities offers a more complete and accurate assessment of disease than do images from a single modality. Although software techniques have been successful in fusing images of the brain from different modalities, they have achieved rather limited success for other parts of the body. The recent introduction of technology that can acquire both anatomic and functional images in a single scan has addressed many of the limitations of software fusion. The combination of CT and PET was introduced commercially in 2001, followed by CT and SPECT in 2004. Clinical adoption of PET/CT has been surprisingly rapid, and despite continuing debate, the new technology has advanced the use of clinical molecular imaging, particularly for oncology.

Key Words: dual-modality • PET/CT • image fusion • molecular imaging

^* NOTE: FOR CE CREDIT, YOU CAN ACCESS THIS ACTIVITY THROUGH THE SNM WEB SITE (http://www.snm.org/ce_online) THROUGH JUNE 2009.

David W. Townsend reports having an affiliation with Siemens Molecular Imaging, the company that manufactures one of the PET/CT scanner designs. No other potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

COPYRIGHT © 2008 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine, Inc.

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