Clinical Applications of SPECT-CT

H. Ahmadzadehfar and H.-J. Biersack, Eds.

New York, NY: Springer, 2014, 304 pages, $229

Now that hybrid imaging is a well-established part of virtually all nuclear medicine studies, there is a great need for a clear understanding of how to perform and use this type of imaging. SPECT/CT cameras have considerably improved diagnostic accuracy in recent years, with better localization and characterization of radionuclide abnormalities as well as additional detection of anatomically small lesions. Furthermore, CT coregistration provides superior quantification of radiotracer uptake on the basis of the attenuation correction capabilities of CT.

This book, with 14 chapters, provides such a resource and covers the full spectrum of clinical applications of SPECT/CT in diagnosis and treatment planning of benign and malignant diseases. It was written by 25 contributors to be a practical guide to the clinical utility of SPECT/CT. The first and second chapters discuss the physics and technology of SPECT/CT and its use in dosimetry. The application of SPECT/CT in the imaging of a range of pathologic conditions is then addressed in the following 9 chapters. The clinical applications that are covered include imaging of the thyroid, parathyroid, bone, coronary artery, and lung. The final 3 chapters are devoted to internal radiation therapy, Bremsstrahlung SPECT/CT, and imaging of the brain and inflammation. Each chapter includes an introduction and then covers the techniques, indications, clinical applications, and limits of SPECT/CT. The illustrative images are clear and informative, and the tables are useful. The references in each chapter are current, and the index is helpful.

Readers will find this book to be an essential and useful reference on the clinical applications of SPECT/CT. I highly recommend it to trainees and practitioners in nuclear medicine, radiology, and radiologic sciences.

• © 2014 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Inc.