Up-to-date review of nuclear medicine applications in pediatric thoracic imaging

- Nuclear medicine examinations in the chest provide important functional information that complements anatomic imaging.
- A growing emphasis on molecular imaging and the advent of newer radiotracers is changing the face of nuclear medicine.
- Simultaneous PET/MRI holds great promise, but presents challenges that will need to be overcome prior to routine use.

Nuclear medicine has an important role in the evaluation of various congenital and acquired pediatric chest diseases. Although the radiopharmaceuticals and nuclear medicine examinations used in children are broadly the same as in adults, there are some key differences in clinical indications and underlying disorders. This article provides the reader with an up-to-date review of practice of nuclear medicine as it relates to the pediatric chest, including its current role and future applications.