Diagnostic Nuclear Medicine

Clinical diagnosis of pathological conditions has benefited enormously during the past decade from the impressive progress achieved in diagnostic radiology and in diagnos- tic nuclear medicine. While diagnostic radiology is now able to provide astonishingly detailed morphological information on living human beings, nuclear medicine can reveal specific information about the function of organs and their physiopathological disturbances. In nuclear medicine revolutionary new techniques such as PET scanning have now reached maturity. PET scanning techniques now play a major role in the detection of metastatic spread and the staging of malignant neoplasms, in the study of heart func- tion and in many other conditions in various parts of the human body. This volume includes the up-to-date information that nuclear medicine specialists, radiologists and other clinicians are looking for in order to allow them to provide the best possible care to their patients and to maintain their high standards of good clini- cal practice. It is my pleasure to congratulate the editor and all the contributing authors for their excellent contributions to this outstanding book. The editor, Christiaan Schiepers, is a leading expert in the field of nuclear medicine. He has to be congratulated for achieving the collaboration of so many internationally known specialists on the different topics dealt with in this book.