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Updated: Aug 8, 2026
10:02
Whole-body PET/MRI of Pediatric Patients: The Details That Matter
Published on: December 19, 2017
Update on pediatric nuclear medicine in acute care
Fatemeh Kaghazchi1, Reza Vali2, Amer Shammas2
1Nuclear Medicine Department, Shohada Tajrish Hospital, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Seminars in Nuclear Medicine
|August 6, 2026
Summary
Nuclear medicine offers crucial imaging for pediatric acute care, aiding in diagnosing brain death, pulmonary embolism, gastrointestinal bleeding, and various other conditions. These techniques improve diagnostic accuracy and patient safety in emergency settings.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nuclear Medicine
- Diagnostic Imaging
- Acute Care Medicine
Background:
- Nuclear medicine and hybrid imaging are vital for pediatric acute care.
- Various radiopharmaceuticals and techniques are employed for evaluating critically ill children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review common nuclear medicine applications in pediatric acute care settings.
- To highlight the utility of specific nuclear medicine scans for various emergent conditions in children.
Main Methods:
- Review of established nuclear medicine procedures used in pediatric emergency evaluations.
- Discussion of indications, safety, and diagnostic value of brain, lung, gastrointestinal, renal, and bone scintigraphy, as well as PET/CT.
Main Results:
- Brain scintigraphy aids in brain death evaluation.
- Ventilation-perfusion scintigraphy is useful for pulmonary embolism in stable children.
- Specific scans are effective for Meckel's diverticulum, GI bleeding, biliary issues, pyelonephritis, transplant complications, bone disorders, and fever of unknown origin.
Conclusions:
- Nuclear medicine provides essential diagnostic capabilities across a spectrum of pediatric acute care scenarios.
- Continued advancements in pediatric nuclear imaging are expected to enhance its role in emergency medicine.
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