New research suggests the technique can effectively break down amyloid fibrinogen microclots, which are believed to interfere with perfusion and cause inflammation.
The photoacoustic CT, or PACT, imaging technique is said to perform comparably to mammography for cancer detection, but without the discomfort of standard mammograms.
PET with 11C-PIB provides a noninvasive method for visualizing amyloid deposits in the heart, according to a study published in the February issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine. The researchers suggest that 11C-PIB eventually may be used in the clinical setting as both a diagnostic tool and a treatment follow-up method.