Three-dimensional display in nuclear medicine and radiology.

As three-dimensional displays become more common in nuclear medicine and radiology, it is important to know when they should be employed. Selection of the appropriate three-dimensional rendering method requires an understanding of the techniques and both their advantages and limitations. This review article is intended to provide an introduction to three-dimensional rendering techniques. Methods in surface mapping, surface rendering, and volume rendering are presented, with discussion of specific clinical applications in nuclear medicine, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging.