Pediatric PET Imaging

Book excerpt: The technique for successfully completing a PET procedure is complex and involves a knowledge of physics, pharmacy, anatomy, physiology, and the disease process; applying PET scanning to children is even more challenging and technically demanding. One cannot simply adopt the approach used for adults but instead must receive specialized training in order to master pediatric PET procedures. This one-of-a-kind, interdisciplinary book is one of the first practical guides to imaging children with PET. The text opens with a section that focuses on practical and technical issues of pediatric PET imaging, including radiation dose and sedation. Principles of operation, instrumentation, and nuclear medicine regulations are also discussed. Subsequent sections cover the clinical applications of PET in pediatrics. With contributions from leading international authorities in the field, each chapter is heavily illustrated and provides the reader with extensive coverage of the essentials of clinical PET studies in oncology and neurology, which standout as key areas for PET imaging in pediatrics.