CT as a functional imaging technique

Abstract

As the growing human population continues to age, there is an increasing incidence of chronic diseases, such as cancer and coronary artery disease. Traditionally, conditions such as these have required multimodality imaging (i.e., CT, MRI, PET/CT, and ultrasound) to both initially diagnose and monitor for response after initiation of therapy. However, the wide availability, growing technologic advances, and ongoing research have allowed for CT to leap forward from a modality traditionally grounded in purely anatomic imaging to one with the capability of yielding clinically relevant functional information on par with that of other radiologic exams. In this chapter, we provide an overview of CT sub-modalities and applications highlighting and placing emphasis on how CT imaging can transition from a merely anatomic to a functional imaging modality.