Pediatric PET/MRI: Imaging Techniques, Indications, and Clinical Implementation

PET/MRI has been established as a clinical imaging modality with a wide range of applications. In pediatric imaging, it has been shown to provide valuable diagnostic information for a variety of indications and clinical questions. Despite the increasing availability of clinical PET/MRI, its routine use for pediatric patients is still primarily limited to large clinical and academic centers. One reason is the high complexity of pediatric PET/MRI, which requires thorough patient preparation and examination planning, skilled image acquisition, and careful image interpretation. The authors provide practical guidance to support the clinical implementation of pediatric PET/MRI and thus increase its availability to pediatric patients. To this end, the authors provide an overview of technical prerequisites, imaging protocols, clinical indications, and image analysis strategies. These aspects are illustrated with clinical examples provided by established clinical pediatric PET/MRI programs worldwide.