The preface summarizes updates to the 4th edition of the textbook "Nuclear Medicine: The Requisites". Several advances in radiopharmaceuticals and imaging instrumentation are described, including the increasing clinical use of hybrid PET/CT and SPECT/CT systems. New FDA-approved radiotracers like DaTscan and Amyvid are mentioned. Part I includes a new chapter on molecular imaging and revisions to physics, instrumentation, and imaging chapters. Part II's oncology and pearls chapters were extensively updated. The book continues to provide an organized overview of nuclear medicine principles and clinical applications for medical residents and practitioners.

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Preface
The first edition of Nuclear Medicine: The Requisites was pub-
lished in 1995 and, like the second and third editions, the
fourth edition closely follows the philosophy and format of
the original—that is, to provide a concise and up-to-date
introduction and review of the field of nuclear medicine.
Since the publication of the third edition in 2006, many
advances have been made in radiopharmaceuticals and in-
strumentation, and many are described. Standard use of hy-
brid positron emission tomography/computed tomography
(PET/CT) has become widely accepted, and single-­photon
emission computed tomography/computed tomography
(SPECT/CT) is increasing in clinical use. New radiophar-
maceuticals approved by the Food and Drug ­Administration
include I-123 ioflupane (DaTscan), a striatal dopamine
transporter used to diagnose parkinsonism, and F-18 flor-
betapir (Amyvid), an amyloid imaging agent. Many new
translational agents are in clinical trials.
Although this edition contains many new images and
revised and updated text, the general format of the book
has not changed, with Part I discussing basic principles of
nuclear medicine and Part II their clinical applications. A
majoradditiontoPartIisanewchapterentitled“Molecular
Imaging,”whichintroducesthebasicconceptsofmolecular
imaging and explains how this rapidly developing field is
leading to a future of individualized medicine. A new
associate editor, Frederic H. Fahey, DSc, has completely
rewritten the Part I chapters “Physics of Nuclear
Medicine,” “Radiation Detection and Instrumentation,”
and “Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography,
Positron Emission Tomography, and Hybrid Imaging.”
The Part II clinical applications chapters “Oncology:
Positron Emission Tomography” and the popular “Pearls,
Pitfalls, and Frequently Asked Questions” have been
extensively revised and updated.
Nuclear Medicine: The Requisites discusses important basic
principles and concepts of instrumentation and radiophar-
maceuticals. Emphasis is placed on the pharmacokinetics,
uptake, distribution, and clearance of radiopharmaceuti-
cals, as well as an understanding of disease pathophysiol-
ogy, leading naturally to the choice of optimal imaging
methods and study interpretation. All the chapters, while
rewritten and updated, continue to have the many boxes,
tables, and illustrations that aid in learning about this ever-
evolving specialty. Intended for the resident in training, as
well as for the practicing nuclear radiologist and nuclear
medicine physician, the fourth edition of Nuclear Medicine:
The Requisites provides an organized overview of nuclear
medicine pertinent to clinical practice.
Acknowledgments
We thank those who have contributed to the preparation
of this book. Selected images were provid­ed by Paco E.
Bravo, MD; Christopher J. Palestro, MD; ­Leonie Gordon,
MD; David Mankoff, MD, PhD; Kirk A. Frey, MD,
PhD; Alan H. Maurer, MD; Pradeep Bhambhvani, MD;
Mark Muzi, MS; and Honggang Liu, MS. Drs. Bravo,
Mankoff, and Bhambhvani proofread chapters and made
helpful suggestions. We also thank our spouses and family
for providing us the time and encouragement for writing
this textbook and our residents who continue to teach us.
Harvey A. Ziessman, MD
Janis P. O’Malley, MD
James H. Thrall, MD
Frederic H. Fahey, DSc