The Journal Of Nuclear Medicine

This book provides a review of image analysis techniques as they are applied in the field of diagnostic and therapeutic nuclear medicine. Driven in part by the remarkable sophistication of nuclear medicine instrumentation and - crease in computing power and its ready and inexpensive availability, this is a relatively new yet rapidly expanding field. Likewise, although the use of nuclear imaging for diagnosis and therapy has origins dating back almost to the pioneering work of Dr G. de Hevesy, quantitative imaging has only recently emerged as a promising approach for diagnosis and therapy of many diseases. An effort has, therefore, been made to place the reviews provided in this book in a broader context. The effort to do this is reflected by the inclusion of introductory chapters that address basic principles of nuclear medicine instrumentation and dual-modality imaging, followed by overview of issues that are closely related to quantitative nuclear imaging and its potential role in diagnostic and therapeutic applications. A brief overview of each chapter is provided below. Chapter 1 presents a general overview of nuclear medicine imaging physics and instrumentation including planar scintigraphy, single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET). Nowadays, patients’ diagnosis and therapy is rarely done without the use of imaging technology. As such, imaging considerations are incorporated in almost every chapter of the book. The development of dual-modality - aging systems is an emerging research field, which is addressed in chapter 2.

This book, now in an extensively revised second edition, summarizes the basic principles of nuclear medicine and describes the clinical applications of commonly used nuclear medicine procedures and techniques. Readers will find clear explanation of clinical indications, the pathophysiological basis of functional procedures, and the complementary role of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging in relation to diagnostic radiology. Throughout, emphasis is placed on the added diagnostic value offered by the new hybrid imaging modalities. The various therapeutic applications of nuclear medicine are also discussed. Compared with the first edition, technical details have been significantly simplified. The book will be an ideal introduction to nuclear medicine for medical students and will serve as an excellent quick reference for referring physicians, enabling them to utilize this modern medical specialty more efficiently.

The Institute of Nuclear Medicine, founded in 1961, celebrates with this Festschrift, its Golden Jubilee. It has been a remarkable 50 years of progress of the radionuclide tracer methodology. From initial, physiology based experimentation, a full independent medical discipline evolved, and with it, a comprehensive clinical service. Diagnosis and Treatment with radiotracers have established the basis for Nuclear Medicine. Technological advances have permeated the field like none other, its multidisciplinary character and its translational research are embedded in the history of the Institute and its success. Recent and latest advances in the field promise a future as bright as has been witnessed and documented in the last 50 years.

Essentials of Nuclear Medicine has four related objectives: 1. To provide the trainee in radiology or nuclear medicine with a practical and relevant overview of nuclear medicine, with an emphasis on diagnostic radionuclide techniques. 2. To provide the necessary non-mathematical "feel" for important principles. 3. To provide the non-medical scientist or para-medical technologist with a concise informative overview of what information may be clinically relevant, what can usefully be obtained and how to obtain it. 4. To provide a readily accessible bench book, giving at least a starting point - and frequently an answer - when unusual queries are received or less common procedures undertaken. The intention is not to supply a "recipe book" of pre-digested solutions but rather to provide a sound foundation on which the reader can build a knowledge of where and how nuclear medicine techniques may assist in patient care giving the maximum benefit for the patient at minimum cost.

The rapidly growing area of nuclear medicine imaging receives only limited attention in broad-based medical dictionaries. This encyclopedic dictionary is intended to fill the gap. More than 400 entries of between one and three paragraphs are included, defining and carefully explaining terms in an appropriate degree of detail. The dictionary encompasses concepts used in planar, SPECT, and PET imaging protocols and covers both scanner operations and popular data analysis approaches. In spite of the mathematical complexities in the acquisition and analysis of images, the explanations given are easy to understand and many helpful concrete examples are provided. The book will be ideal for those who wish to obtain a rapid grasp of a concept beyond a definition of a few words but do not have the time to search the reference literature. The almost tutorial-like style accommodates the needs of students, nuclear medicine technologists, and varieties of other medical professionals.

​This work is devoted to understanding the recent advances in nuclear medicine and molecular imaging technologies along with their application to integrated medical therapy and future drug development. This anthology is based on the international symposium in 2015 entitled “Perspective on Nuclear Medicine for Molecular Diagnosis and Integrated Therapy. “The symposium provided an opportunity to exchange ideas on how to promote nuclear medicine technology and how to extend the technology to medical therapy and drug development, and was also a good opportunity to discuss the future perspective of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging by worldwide leaders in the field. Molecular imaging technologies have been rapidly developed worldwide in recent years. Among those developments, nuclear medicine has come to play an important role in quantitative analysis of biological process in vivo as well as in wide clinical use. With the current progress of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging, this modality has been applied for treatment monitoring and predicting its outcome with the use of optimal imaging biomarkers and suitable quantitative analysis. Truly, a new era has arrived with clinical use of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging for personalized medicine. This volume will benefit a wide variety of researchers in life science including those working in drug development, molecular imaging, and medical therapy as well as physicians who utilize diagnostic imaging.