Clinical efficacy of positron emission tomography

The series of workshops sponsored by the European Communities started with "Methodology of PET" at Hammersmith Hospital, London, in March 1984. This was followed by "Radiochemistry, Methodology and Standardization in PET" at the Service Hospitalier Frederic Joliot in Orsay, France, in March 1985. Both these meetings were, in the opinion of all participants, great successes, and it was agreed that such work shops should continue and be organized on the same basis. After these two workshops on the fundamentals of PET, time now is ripe to evaluate the clinical efficacy of PET investigations, and to discuss to what extend the information provided by this high technology and theoretical area has contributed to the understanding of disease mechanisms, leading to immediate clinical applications. As pointed out in the previous meetings, PET using short-lived radioisotopes produced in an on-line cyclotron is restricted to a few centers. Therefore, the topics studied so far were mainly of scientific interest and clinical problems were dealt with only marginally. Before this costly technique can be spread and new information made accessible to a broader clinical clientele, its clinical value must be demonstrat ed. So far, in the majority of studies, the central nervous system was the primary target organ, and PET has contributed a great deal to our understanding of brain physiology and pathology. Also on the heart, a substantial number of studies have been performed in various centers, but the application of PET to this organ is still somewhat limited.

Proceedings of a Workshop Held Oct. 23-25, 1986, in Cologne, FRG, Sponsored by the Commission of the European Communities as Advised by the Committee on Medical and Public Health Research

Inhalt
Brain: Cerebral Vascular Disease.- Ischemic stroke studied by 15-0-lab compounds: Misery perfusion and luxury perfusion.- Ischemic disease studied with 15-0-lab compounds: Metabolic and hemodynamic disparities.- Brain glucose metabolism and blood flow in ischemic stroke.- PET studies in internal carotid occlusion patients: Base-line hemodynamic and metabolic alterations; effects of surgical revascularization and induced arterial hypertension.- Functional evaluation of extra-intracranial arterial bypasses using PET and repeated bolus administration of 15-0-lab tracers.- Respondent to Cerebral Vascular Disease: Positron emission tomography in cerebrovascular disorders: Results and perspectives.- Brain: Movement Disorders.- Changes of cerebral glucose metabolism in movement disorders.- Progressive supranuclear palsy studied by PET.- Central dopaminergic mechanisms in monkey and man studied by positron emission tomography.- Respondent to Brain - Movement Disorders: Application of PET in clinical brain research.- Summary of Discussion on Brain I.- Brain: Epilepsy and Pediatric Neurology.- Localizing epileptic foci by PET.- Clinical applications of PET: Studies of brain glucose metabolism in pediatric neurology.- Respondent to Epilepsy: The value of PET in the clinical evaluation of epileptic patients.- Brain: Dementias.- Energy metabolism and neurotransmitter function in ageing and the dementias.- PET in dementia and gliomas.- Respondent to Dementia: Value of PET in the clinical evaluation of dementias.- Brain: Schizophrenia.- Regional brain metabolism in drugfree schizophrenic patients as measured by positron emission tomography.- PET-determination of central Dl- and D2- dopamine receptor occupancy in neuroleptic treated schizophrenics.- Striatal dopamine receptors: Dose-dependent occupation by, and rapid washout of, orally given neuroleptics in humans.- Summary of Discussion on Brain II.- Heart: Angina Pectoris.- Application of positron emission tomography to the study of ischemic heart disease.- PET in the study of angina pectoris.- Investigation of myocardial receptors by PET in heart diseases.- Heart: Infarction.- Possible clinical efficacy of positron emission tomography In myocardial infarction.- The role of PET in the characterization of myocardial necrosis: Clinical problems related to the non-Q-wave infarction.- Investigation of myocardial viability after an acute myocardial infarction using positron emission tomography.- PET in the evaluation of myocardial infarction - observations in acute and chronic stage -.- Respondent to Heart: Application of PET to the study of heart disease.- Summary of Discussion on Heart.- Lungs.- Correlation of structure and function in pulmonary disease.- Lung edema: clinical efficacy of positron emission tomography.- Pharmacological studies of the lung with PET.- Respondent to Lungs: Positron emission tomography of the lungs.- Summary of Discussion on Lungs.- Soft Tissue Tumors.- Circulatory and metabolic studies in extracranial malignant tumors.- Some biological aspects of soft tissue tumors as studied by PET.- Respondent to Soft Tissue Tumors: Potential clinical value of PET in oncologyBrain Tumors.- Brain Tumors.- Positron emission tomography with 11-C methionine in brain tumors: Methionine kinetics, tumor delineation, and follow-up studies after therapy.- Dopamine receptors in pituitary adenomas and effect of bromocriptine treatment - evaluation with PET and MRI.- Respondent to Brain Tumors: Interpretation of tracer uptake in brain tumors.- Summary of Discussion on Soft Tissue and Brain Tumors.- Discussion of Summaries of Respondents.- Summary of Discussion on Strategy for the Future.- Participants.