Image registration: an essential tool for nuclear medicine

Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2002 Apr;29(4):559-77. doi: 10.1007/s00259-001-0700-6. Epub 2002 Jan 11.

Abstract

There is increasing interest in being able to automatically register medical images from either the same or different modalities. Registered images are proving useful in a range of applications, not only providing more correlative information to aid in diagnosis, but also assisting with the planning and monitoring of therapy, both surgery and radiotherapy. The practising nuclear medicine specialist is faced with a dilemma in choosing an appropriate method since the literature in the field is extensive, with conflicting evidence as to what methods are optimal. Although most barriers to implementing registration in routine practice have been removed, there remains a lack of commercial, validated software. The alternative is to install a dual-modality instrument. The objective of this review is to present a general overview of medical image registration with emphasis on the application and issues relevant to nuclear medicine.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms
  • Brain / anatomy & histology
  • Data Display
  • Diagnostic Imaging / methods
  • Humans
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / methods*
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / standards
  • Imaging, Three-Dimensional / methods
  • Imaging, Three-Dimensional / standards
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods
  • Models, Statistical
  • Nuclear Medicine / instrumentation
  • Nuclear Medicine / methods*
  • Nuclear Medicine / standards
  • Pattern Recognition, Automated
  • Quality Control
  • Radiology Information Systems
  • Radionuclide Imaging / methods*
  • Radionuclide Imaging / standards
  • Registries*
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Software Validation*
  • Stochastic Processes
  • Tomography, Emission-Computed / methods
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed / methods