Potential Role of Positron Emission Tomography/Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Gastrointestinal and Abdominal Malignancies: Preliminary Experience

Application of Image Fusion in Diagnosis and Treatment of Liver Cancer

With the accelerated development of medical imaging equipment and techniques, image fusion technology has been effectively applied for diagnosis, biopsy and radiofrequency ablation, especially for liver tumor. Tumor treatment relying on a single medical imaging modality might face challenges, due to the deep positioning of the lesions, operation history and the specific background conditions of the liver disease. Image fusion technology has been employed to address these challenges. Using the image fusion technology, one could obtain real-time anatomical imaging superimposed by functional images showing the same plane to facilitate the diagnosis and treatments of liver tumors. This paper presents a review of the key principles of image fusion technology, its application in tumor treatments, particularly in liver tumors, and concludes with a discussion of the limitations and prospects of the image fusion technology.

Differentiation of recurrent spinal ependymoma from postradiation treatment necrosis through multiparametric PET-MR and perfusion MRI

A 67-year-old male presented with papilledema and back pain localized to the T10 level. Initial workup revealed multifocal spinal ependymoma which was resected and treated with external beam radiotherapy. Nine years after treatment, the patient had a relapse of back pain, and MRI was inconclusive in distinguishing posttreatment radiation necrosis from recurrent tumor. We present the first described report with the utilization of multiparametric positron emission tomography-magnetic resonance imaging and perfusion MRI to distinguish recurrent spinal ependymoma from radiation necrosis.

Multimodality fusion imaging in abdominal and pelvic malignancies: current applications and future perspectives

Medicine is evolving toward personalized care and this development entails the integration, amalgamation, and synchronized analysis of data from multiple sources. Multimodality fusion imaging refers to the simultaneous visualization of spatially aligned and juxtaposed medical images obtained by two or more image modalities. PET/MRI scanners and MMFI platforms are able to improve the diagnostic workflow in oncologic patients and provide exquisite images that aid physicians in the molecular profiling and characterization of tissues. Advanced navigation platforms involving real-time ultrasound are promising tools for guiding personalized and tailored mini-invasive interventional procedures on technically challenging targets. The main objective of the present essay was to describe the current applications and future perspectives of multimodality fusion imaging for both diagnostic and interventional purposes in the field of abdominal and pelvic malignancies. We also outlined the technical differences between fusion imaging achieved by means of simultaneous bimodal acquisition (i.e., integrated PET/MRI scanners), retrospective co-registration, and multimodality fusion imaging involving ultrafast or real-time imaging modalities.