Research Update on Nuclear Medicine

A special issue of Diagnostics (ISSN 2075-4418). This special issue belongs to the section "Medical Imaging and Theranostics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2025 | Viewed by 5032

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nuclear medicine is a scientific field that, in recent years, has experienced expanding application and is constantly growing in terms of importance and extension. This particular branch of medicine is characterized by the ability to evaluate the metabolic behavior of different tissues, cells and organs and has demonstrated its usefulness for the assessment of a wide range of conditions. From a diagnostic point of view, its role in the diagnosis, evaluation of response to treatment, follow-up and ability to drive the therapeutic approach of different diseases has been proven in many different papers. Interestingly, new tracers able to analyze different metabolic pathways, and therefore to shape new fields of research, are constantly being produced and need to prove their value. In addition, texture analysis, radiomics and machine learning are new scientific tools that are changing nuclear medicine and the methods of imaging analysis in general. Moreover, radionuclide therapy is experiencing an increase in its application and new research highlighting its role in the management of different diseases and the development of new therapeutic agents is being published almost every day.

The aim of this Special Issue is, therefore, to collect research that aims to investigate new findings in the nuclear medicine field in both diagnostic and therapeutic settings.

Dr. Francesco Dondi
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diagnostics is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • nuclear medicine
  • diagnostic radiology
  • PET/CT
  • SPECT
  • PET
  • imaging

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review, Other

11 pages, 4043 KiB  
Article
Characterizing Normal Upper Extremity Lymphatic Flow with 99mTc In-House Dextran: A Retrospective Study
by Wiroj Katiyarangsan, Putthiporn Charoenphun, Krisanat Chuamsaamarkkee, Suchawadee Musikarat, Kidakorn Kiranantawat, Chaninart Sakulpisuti, Kanungnij Thamnirat, Arpakorn Kositwattanarerk, Chanika Sritara and Wichana Chamroonrat
Diagnostics 2024, 14(17), 1960; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics14171960 - 5 Sep 2024
Viewed by 890
Abstract
Lymphoscintigraphy evaluates the lymphatic system using radiocolloid compounds like 99mTc-sulfur colloid and 99mTc-nanocolloid, which vary in particle size and distribution timing. A local in-house Dextran kit (15–40 nm) was developed in 2005 and began clinical use in 2008 to localize sentinel [...] Read more.
Lymphoscintigraphy evaluates the lymphatic system using radiocolloid compounds like 99mTc-sulfur colloid and 99mTc-nanocolloid, which vary in particle size and distribution timing. A local in-house Dextran kit (15–40 nm) was developed in 2005 and began clinical use in 2008 to localize sentinel lymph nodes; diagnose lymphedema; and detect lymphatic leakage. The normal drainage pattern remains unexplored. We retrospectively analyzed 84 upper extremity lymphoscintigraphies from 2008 to 2021. 99mTc in-house Dextran was intradermally injected into both hands, followed by whole-body imaging at specified intervals (≤15 min; 16–30 min; 31–45 min; 46–60 min), with some receiving delayed imaging. Visual and quantitative analyses recorded axillary and forearm lymph nodes and liver, kidney, and urinary bladder activity. Results showed 92% (77/84) upper extremity lymphatic tract visualization within 45 min. Axillary node detection rates increased from 46% (≤15 min) to 86% (46–60 min). Delayed imaging further revealed nodes. Epitrochlear or brachial node visualization was rare (4%, 3/84). Hepatic, renal, and urinary bladder activity was noted in 54%, 71%, and 93% at 1 h, respectively. The axillary node uptake ratio was minimal (<2.5% of injection site activity; median 0.33%). This study characterizes normal upper extremity lymphatic drainage using 99mTc in-house Dextran, offering insights into its clinical application Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Update on Nuclear Medicine)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research, Other

20 pages, 1652 KiB  
Review
Technological Advances in SPECT and SPECT/CT Imaging
by Yassine Bouchareb, Afrah AlSaadi, Jawa Zabah, Anjali Jain, Aziza Al-Jabri, Peter Phiri, Jian Qing Shi, Gayathri Delanerolle and Srinivasa Rao Sirasanagandla
Diagnostics 2024, 14(13), 1431; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics14131431 - 4 Jul 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2731
Abstract
Single photon emission tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) is a mature imaging technology with a dynamic role in the diagnosis and monitoring of a wide array of diseases. This paper reviews the technological advances, clinical impact, and future directions of SPECT and SPECT/CT imaging. The [...] Read more.
Single photon emission tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) is a mature imaging technology with a dynamic role in the diagnosis and monitoring of a wide array of diseases. This paper reviews the technological advances, clinical impact, and future directions of SPECT and SPECT/CT imaging. The focus of this review is on signal amplifier devices, detector materials, camera head and collimator designs, image reconstruction techniques, and quantitative methods. Bulky photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) are being replaced by position-sensitive PMTs (PSPMTs), avalanche photodiodes (APDs), and silicon PMs to achieve higher detection efficiency and improved energy resolution and spatial resolution. Most recently, new SPECT cameras have been designed for cardiac imaging. The new design involves using specialised collimators in conjunction with conventional sodium iodide detectors (NaI(Tl)) or an L-shaped camera head, which utilises semiconductor detector materials such as CdZnTe (CZT: cadmium–zinc–telluride). The clinical benefits of the new design include shorter scanning times, improved image quality, enhanced patient comfort, reduced claustrophobic effects, and decreased overall size, particularly in specialised clinical centres. These noticeable improvements are also attributed to the implementation of resolution-recovery iterative reconstructions. Immense efforts have been made to establish SPECT and SPECT/CT imaging as quantitative tools by incorporating camera-specific modelling. Moreover, this review includes clinical examples in oncology, neurology, cardiology, musculoskeletal, and infection, demonstrating the impact of these advancements on clinical practice in radiology and molecular imaging departments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Update on Nuclear Medicine)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Other

Jump to: Research, Review

6 pages, 747 KiB  
Case Report
Parathyroid Adenoma Detected in 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT but Not in the Dedicated Imaging Modalities
by Maja Cieślewicz, Natalia Andryszak, Kacper Pełka, Ewelina Szczepanek-Parulska, Marek Ruchała, Jolanta Kunikowska and Rafał Czepczyński
Diagnostics 2024, 14(15), 1690; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics14151690 - 5 Aug 2024
Viewed by 903
Abstract
Background: Primary hyperparathyroidism is a common endocrine disorder characterised by excessive parathormone secretion that results in hypercalcemia, primarily caused by parathyroid adenoma. Accurate localisation of hyperfunctioning tissue is essential for curative surgical treatment. Although conventional imaging modalities like ultrasonography and 99mTc-MIBI scintigraphy [...] Read more.
Background: Primary hyperparathyroidism is a common endocrine disorder characterised by excessive parathormone secretion that results in hypercalcemia, primarily caused by parathyroid adenoma. Accurate localisation of hyperfunctioning tissue is essential for curative surgical treatment. Although conventional imaging modalities like ultrasonography and 99mTc-MIBI scintigraphy (SPECT) along with 18F-fluorocholine PET/CT are commonly employed, there are cases with false-negative imaging results. Case presentation: This case report presents a patient with primary hyperparathyroidism and a parathyroid adenoma detected solely through 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT, typically used for prostate cancer diagnosis. The lesion observed in the PET/CT was confirmed as a parathyroid adenoma through laboratory evaluation, while other imaging techniques failed to detect it. Conclusions: This finding suggests that the PSMA ligands’ particular affinity for neovascularisation in focal changes may facilitate the visualisation of parathyroid adenomas. The utilisation of 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT in primary hyperparathyroidism could potentially improve the preoperative localization of parathyroid adenomas when conventional imaging methods are inconclusive. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Update on Nuclear Medicine)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop