ABSTRACT

Although single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) hybrid imaging systems added a significant clinical contribution to patient management regarding specific diagnosis in adults, it has not found widespread use in pediatric clinical applications, yet. The most important limiting factor is the radiation dose. Children are known to be much more sensitive to the harmful effects of ionizing radiation than adults. Thus, for SPECT/CT evaluation, accurate justification, strict adherence to “ALARA” principle, and assurance of optimized CT parameters for pediatric age is required. In this review article, major oncologic and non-oncologic clinical applications are summarized in view of limited number of papers and case reports in the literature.