Total-Body PET Imaging in Infectious Diseases

PET Clin. 2021 Jan;16(1):89-97. doi: 10.1016/j.cpet.2020.09.011. Epub 2020 Nov 5.

Abstract

Total-body PET enables high-sensitivity imaging with dramatically improved signal-to-noise ratio. These enhanced performance characteristics allow for decreased PET scanning times acquiring data "total-body wide" and can be leveraged to decrease the amount of radiotracer required, thereby permitting more frequent imaging or longer imaging periods during radiotracer decay. Novel approaches to PET imaging of infectious diseases are emerging, including those that directly visualize pathogens in vivo and characterize concomitant immune responses and inflammation. Efforts to develop these imaging approaches are hampered by challenges of traditional imaging platforms, which may be overcome by novel total-body PET strategies.

Keywords: COVID-19; Human immunodeficiency syndrome; Infectious diseases; T cells; Total-body PET.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Communicable Diseases / diagnostic imaging*
  • Humans
  • Positron-Emission Tomography / methods*
  • Signal-To-Noise Ratio
  • Time
  • Whole Body Imaging / methods*