Positron emission tomography/MRI for cardiac diseases assessment

Br J Radiol. 2020 Sep 1;93(1113):20190836. doi: 10.1259/bjr.20190836. Epub 2020 Feb 14.

Abstract

Functional imaging tools have emerged in the last few decades and are increasingly used to assess the function of the human heart in vivo. Positron emission tomography (PET) is used to evaluate myocardial metabolism and blood flow. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an essential tool for morphological and functional evaluation of the heart. In cardiology, PET is successfully combined with CT for hybrid cardiac imaging. The effective integration of two imaging modalities allows simultaneous data acquisition combining functional, structural and molecular imaging. After PET/CT has been successfully accepted for clinical practices, hybrid PET/MRI is launched. This review elaborates the current evidence of PET/MRI in cardiovascular imaging and its expected clinical applications for a comprehensive assessment of cardiovascular diseases while highlighting the advantages and limitations of this hybrid imaging approach.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Heart Diseases / diagnostic imaging*
  • Heart Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods*
  • Multimodal Imaging / methods*
  • Myocardial Ischemia / diagnostic imaging
  • Organ Motion
  • Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography / methods
  • Positron-Emission Tomography / methods*
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed / methods*