General principles of PET/CT and autonomic innervation of the heart including kinetics and software

Non-invasive imaging of myocardial innervation using positron emission tomography (PET) and positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) is a valuable methodology in cardiac imaging. Although it never entered the clinical arena in an extent as single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging for this purpose did, its technical advantages, the excellent properties of the imaging agents, and the availability of tools for quantification combine into an occasionally underrated approach. This chapter covers a rather wide range of topics and tries not to repeat information provided in other chapters of this book. Consequentially, the focus is to emphasize where all three elements-imaging technique, tracers, and analysis-have to interact to form a viable workflow.