Clinical Application of PET/MRI

Positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI) represents a complex imaging modality able to combine the anatomical and functional information provided by MRI and the functional/molecular data provided by PET. This chapter addresses the use of PET/MRI, mainly with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG), in oncological and nononcological conditions based on the daily clinical experiences physicians have amassed. Gliomas are the most common primary brain tumors in children and adults, consisting of a heterogeneous group of neoplastic diseases arising from the supporting cells of the central nervous system. Retroperitoneal fibrosis (RPF) is a rare disease characterized by the presence of retroperitoneal proliferation of fibro-inflammatory tissue that surrounds retroperitoneal organs such vessels and ureters. In the evaluation of RPF, 18F-FDG PET provides additional metabolic information, such as index of severity and extent of disease.