Method for visualizing a lymph node and correspondingly embodied combined MR/PET apparatus

摘要

A method is disclosed for visualizing a lymph node in a volume section of an examination subject by way of a combined MR/PET apparatus and to a correspondingly embodied combined MR/PET apparatus. The method includes acquisition of PET data of the volume section by way of a positron emission detector in order to record on the basis of the PET data a metabolic activity per PET voxel within the predetermined volume section; acquisition of MR data of the volume section by way of a magnetic resonance system in order to record on the basis of the MR data a lymph-node-specific contrast per region of the predetermined volume section; and generation of an image as a function of the metabolic activity recorded per PET voxel and as a function of the lymph-node-specific contrast recorded per region, abnormal lymph nodes being visualized in the image as distinguishable from normal lymph nodes.

主权项

1. A method for visualizing lymph nodes in a volume section of an examination subject by way of a combined MR/PET apparatus, the method comprising:
acquiring PET data of the volume section, by way of a positron emission detector, to record, on the basis of the acquired PET data, a metabolic activity per PET voxel within the volume section; acquiring MR data of the volume section, by way of a magnetic resonance system, to record, on the basis of the acquired MR data, a lymph-node-specific contrast per region of the volume section; and generating an image as a function of metabolic activity recorded per PET voxel and as a function of the lymph-node-specific contrast recorded per region, abnormal lymph nodes being visualized in the image as being distinguishable from normal lymph nodes, wherein at least one of a plurality of predefined regions, each associated with a respective lymph node diagnosis, is identified in the image, the image generated to present said at least one identified predefined region as being visually distinguishable from a remainder of the image, wherein said plurality of predefined regions comprise of: a region in which the lymph-node-specific contrast lies above a first set MR threshold value and in which the metabolic activity lies above a first set PET threshold value, a region in which the lymph-node-specific contrast lies above the first set MR threshold value and in which the metabolic activity lies below a second set PET threshold value, a region in which the lymph-node-specific contrast lies below a second set MR threshold value and in which the metabolic activity lies above the fn'st set PET threshold value, and a region in which the lymph-node-specific contrast lies below the second set MR threshold value and in which the metabolic activity lies below the second set PET threshold value, wherein the first set MR threshold value is greater than or equal to the second set MR threshold value, the first set PET threshold value is greater than or equal to the second set PET threshold value, and the first and second set MR threshold values are set separately from the first and second set PET threshold values; and displaying the generated image.