SNMMI unveils 2026 Image of the Year
A PET exam depicting whole-body imaging of traveling blood clots has been named the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging’s Henry N. Wagner Jr. Image of the Year.
The image depicts a novel PET radiotracer that accurately detects deep vein thrombosis in the legs and provides additional information on whether clots have traveled to the lungs. In a clinical study, the tracer (18F-GP1) showed high diagnostic accuracy for identifying clots in the thigh and calf, also identifying cases of pulmonary embolism occurring together with DVT. The tracer proved to be comparable to ultrasound in terms of DVT detection accuracy, was well tolerated by patients and did not cause any adverse events.
"Conventional imaging techniques, such as venous ultrasound and CT, rely on indirect structural changes—like vein compressibility or contrast filling defects rather than directly visualizing the clot itself," said Sangwon Han, MD, PhD, clinical assistant professor in the Department of Nuclear Medicine at Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine in Seoul, Korea. "18F-GP1 PET/CT is a thrombus-specific imaging that selectively targets activated platelets, allowing blood clots to be visualized directly even in areas that may be difficult to assess with conventional imaging."
Han and colleagues suggested that their findings indicate a role for whole-body PET in eliminating the need for multiple exams to track and assess blood clots.
Giuseppe Esposito, MD, SNMMI Scientific Program Committee chair, also signaled optimism for how the tracer could be used in diagnosing and monitoring acute thombus.
"This approach could serve as a platform technology for detecting clots throughout the body and even help to detect stroke or cardiovascular disease,” he said. “These images show just how powerful molecular imaging can be."
The image was chosen out of nearly 1,500 abstracts submitted for SNMMI’s annual meeting. Every year, the society designates one image it believes best represents the most promising advancements in nuclear and molecular imaging.
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Courtesy of SNMMI
In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She began covering the medical imaging industry for Innovate Healthcare in 2021.