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The molecular imaging approach to image infections and inflammation by nuclear medicine techniques

  • Invited review article
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Abstract

Inflammatory and infectious diseases are a heterogeneous class of diseases that may be divided into infections, acute inflammation and chronic inflammation. Radiological imaging techniques have, with the exception of functional MRI, high sensitivity but lack in specificity. Nuclear medicine techniques, by contrast, allow the in vivo detection in humans of different physiologic and pathologic phenomena and offer noninvasive tools to detect early pathophysiological changes before anatomical changes occur. In this review, we highlight the role of nuclear medicine in inflammation/infection with emphasis on molecular imaging for in vivo histological characterization of affected tissues for diagnostic purposes and follow-up of therapies. We also describe the clinical indications of all available radiopharmaceuticals in the light of the newly available guidelines.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medicina Nucleare, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Ospedale S. Andrea, University of Rome “Sapienza”, Via di Grottarossa 1035, 00189, Rome, Italy

    Alberto Signore

  2. Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University Medical Center, Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

    Alberto Signore & Andor W. J. M. Glaudemans

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  1. Alberto Signore
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  2. Andor W. J. M. Glaudemans
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Correspondence to Alberto Signore.

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Signore, A., Glaudemans, A.W.J.M. The molecular imaging approach to image infections and inflammation by nuclear medicine techniques. Ann Nucl Med 25, 681–700 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12149-011-0521-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12149-011-0521-z

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