Thoracic applications of photon-counting CT: where are we after 3 years of clinical implementation?

Photon-counting CT has now entered the field of clinical practice, raising expectations on the advantages that could be derived for patient management. Two main directions are under scrutinity for the medical community at large. At the present time, most attention is directed towards the confirmation of the expected improvement in image quality and the evaluation of its consequences in terms of decision-making. In parallel, new perspectives in the field of functional imaging as well as for spectral imaging are topics of active research that have not been translated in clinical practice. This review article provides an update on the current use of this technology, based on the last 3 years of clinical investigations. Early clinical experience is summarized, focusing on adult respiratory indications.