Positron Emission Tomography

While the advantages of PET imaging over conventional single photon nuclear medicine imaging arewidely acknowledged (Table 3.1), until recently the high cost of the equipment and operating expenses had limited it to relatively few centers. With a clearer appreciation of the clinical value of PET ([1] and Chapter 17) and reimbursement by agencies such as Medicare in the USA, PET is now to be found widely in many countries, although its acceptance by the NHS in the UK has been slower. This chapter will concentrate on the technology behind PET. The clinical applications will be discussed in detail in Chapter 17.