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Updated: May 13, 2026

Whole-body PET/MRI of Pediatric Patients: The Details That Matter
Published on: December 19, 2017
Positron Emission Tomography-Magnetic Resonance Imaging, a New Hybrid Imaging Modality for Dentomaxillofacial
Anastasia Mitsea1, Nikolaos Christoloukas1, Spyridoula Koutsipetsidou2
1Department of Oral Diagnosis & Radiology, School of Dentistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 2 Thivon Str., 11527 Athens, Greece.
Abstract:
Background/Objectives: Emerging hybrid imaging modalities, like Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/CT) and Positron Emission Tomography/Magnetic Resonance Imaging (PET/MRI), are useful for assessing head and neck cancer (HNC) and its prognosis during follow-up. PET/MRI systems enable simultaneous PET and MRI scans within a single session. These combined PET/MRI scanners merge MRI's better soft tissue contrast and the molecular metabolic information offered by PET. Aim: To review scientific articles on the use of hybrid PET/MRI techniques in diagnosing dentomaxillofacial malignancies. Method: The available literature on the use of PET/MRI for the diagnosis of dentomaxillofacial malignancies in four online databases (Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library) was searched. Eligible for this review were original full-text articles on PET/MRI imaging, published between January 2010 and November 2024, based on experimental or clinical research involving humans. Results: Out of the 783 articles retrieved, only twelve articles were included in this systematic review. Nearly half of the articles (5 out of 12) concluded that PET/MRI is superior to PET, MRI, and PET/CT imaging in relation to defining malignancies' size. Six articles found no statistically significant results and the diagnostic accuracy presented was similar in PET/MRI versus MRI and PET/CT images. Regarding the overall risk of bias, most articles had a moderate risk. Conclusions: The use of PET/MRI in HNC cases provides a more accurate diagnosis regarding dimensions of the tumor and thus a more accurate surgical approach if needed. Further prospective studies on a larger cohort of patients are required to obtain more accurate results on the application of hybrid PET/MRI.
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