The rate of glucose utilization in tumor cells is significantly enhanced as compared to normal cells and this biochemical characteristic is utilized in PET imaging using FDG as a major workhorse. The PET systems as well as cyclotrons producing positron emitting radiopharmaceuticals have undergone continuous technological refinements. While PET (CT) systems enable fusion images as well as precise attenuation correction, the self-shielded cyclotrons developed provide dedicated systems for in-house production of a large number of PET radiopharmaceuticals. The application of PET images in oncology includes those of pulmonary, colorectal, breast, lymphoma, head & neck, bone, ovarian and GI cancers. The PET has been recognized as promising diagnostic tool to predict biological and physiological changes at the molecular level and hence offer a potential area for future applications including Stem Cell research.

Learning to read is associated with the appearance of an orthographically sensitive brain region known as the visual word form area. It has been claimed that development of this area proceeds by impinging upon territory otherwise available for the processing of culturally relevant stimuli such as faces and houses. In a large-scale functional magnetic resonance imaging study of a group of individuals of varying degrees of literacy (from completely illiterate to highly literate), we examined cortical responses to orthographic and nonorthographic visual stimuli. We found that literacy enhances responses to other visual input in early visual areas and enhances representational similarity between text and faces, without reducing the extent of response to nonorthographic input. Thus, acquisition of literacy in childhood recycles existing object representation mechanisms but without destructive competition.

As little as 6 months of literacy instruction leads to neuroplastic changes in deep structures of the brain of illiterate adults.

There is some overlap in SUV between fracture-/bone-associated lesions and culprit lesions with a tendency of most non-culprit lesions to have lower SUV and no associated soft-tissue component. In such scenario, intensely tracer-avid, larger non-fracture lesions with soft-tissue component may lead to identification of culprit lesion among multiple lesions. Following detection of culprit lesion, surgical removal is the best treatment. RFA is alternative to surgery in cases where surgery is not possible owing to osteopenia/poor bone health. Advances in knowledge: The main challenge in patients of long-standing OOM is the presence of multiple skeletal lesions (both tumour- or tracer-avid fractures), and it is confusing to identify culprit lesion. This was noted in our study with Ga-DOTANOC and has not been mentioned in studies performed withGa-DOTATATE/TOC PET/CT. In such scenario, Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT needs to be reviewed and read thoroughly to localize the culprit lesion out of the multiple tracer-avid lesions.

No abstract