Jigsaw preclinical imaging is not a new concept. However novel instrumentation called Opti-SPECT/PET/CT presented during the 2014 Annual Meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) held June 7-11 in St. Louis brings together a full spectrum of molecular imaging technology into one system—and one scan. Bioluminescence and fluorescence imaging agents developed with the platform could one day be implemented as intraoperative tracers during surgery, most notably for oncologic procedures.

The nidus mineralization ratio of osteoid osteomas increases significantly with pain duration and may be a marker of tumor age, according to a study published in the June issue of Radiology.

A pair of this week’s top stories were studies demonstrating the benefits of mammography screening, but the authors of an editorial response to one of the studies seem to remain unimpressed.

SPECT and PET can detect the pathology of chronic joint pain due to rheumatoid arthritis when performed with agents that target antifibroblast activation protein (FAP) antibodies, according to a study presented last week during the 2014 Annual Meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) in St. Louis.

Chemo and radionuclide therapy together with the addition of drugs that make patients more radiosensitive have been shown to diminish and even suppress neuroendeocrine tumors (NETs) from progressing in 70 percent of cases. As a result, peptide receptor chemo-radionuclide therapy may offer patients improved survival rates, according to a study presented at the recent Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging 2014 Annual Meeting held June 7-11 in St. Louis.

Back pain is a burden for most people at some point in their lifetime, but pinpointing the reason for the pain can be tricky. Researchers presenting during the recent Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging 2014 Annual Meeting in St. Louis have found that SPECT/CT in addition to conventional bone scan gets straight to the point of pain, leading to much higher pain relief following intervention.

A study of Norwegian women invited to a breast cancer screening program indicated that an invitation to undergo modern mammography may reduce deaths, but evolving treatments will likely result in a gradual reduction in screening benefit.

Recognizing an organizing pneumonia pattern in acutely ill patients living in or traveling from endemic areas could assist in the early diagnosis of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), according to a study published online June 11 by the American Journal of Roentgenology.