Positron emission tomography (PET) in clinical routine
Pozitronska emisijska tomografija (PET) v klinični praksi

english

1999

volume 33, issue 2

Onkološki inštitut Ljubljana

Background. Positron emission tomography (PET) is a non-invasive imaging technique that utilizes positron emitting isotopes of biological elements in order to assess metabolism in vivo. The most commonly used tracer is the F-18-labelled glucose analogue called fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (F-18-FDG). Due to increased restrictions in the national health system and marked expenses for PET studies indications have to be defined thoroughly. Therefore, in the last years several round table expert meetings have been held in order to clearly define the clinical impact of PET in various diseases, e.g. neurological, oncological, and cardiovascular disorders resulting in well-defined indication lists. Conclusions. The indication lists for PET may help both the referring clinician as well as the nuclear medicine physician to optimize cost- effectiveness. Moreover, national health services increasingly utilize these indication lists to decide on reimbursement regarding PET studies in the individual patient.

10.11.2023