Skip to main content

Main menu

  • Home
  • Content
    • Current
      • JNMT Supplement
    • Ahead of print
    • Past Issues
    • SNMMI Annual Meeting Abstracts
  • Subscriptions
    • Subscribers
    • Rates
    • Journal Claims
    • Institutional and Non-member
  • Authors
    • Submit to JNMT
    • Information for Authors
    • Assignment of Copyright
    • AQARA Requirements
  • Info
    • Permissions
    • Continuing Education
    • Advertisers
    • Corporate & Special Sales
  • About
    • About Us
    • Editorial Board
    • Editorial Contact
  • More
    • Alerts
    • Feedback
    • Help
    • SNMMI Journals
  • SNMMI
    • JNMT
    • JNM
    • SNMMI Journals
    • SNMMI

User menu

  • Subscribe
  • My alerts
  • Log in
  • My Cart

Search

  • Advanced search
Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
  • SNMMI
    • JNMT
    • JNM
    • SNMMI Journals
    • SNMMI
  • Subscribe
  • My alerts
  • Log in
  • My Cart
Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology

Advanced Search

  • Home
  • Content
    • Current
    • Ahead of print
    • Past Issues
    • SNMMI Annual Meeting Abstracts
  • Subscriptions
    • Subscribers
    • Rates
    • Journal Claims
    • Institutional and Non-member
  • Authors
    • Submit to JNMT
    • Information for Authors
    • Assignment of Copyright
    • AQARA Requirements
  • Info
    • Permissions
    • Continuing Education
    • Advertisers
    • Corporate & Special Sales
  • About
    • About Us
    • Editorial Board
    • Editorial Contact
  • More
    • Alerts
    • Feedback
    • Help
    • SNMMI Journals
  • Follow SNMMI on Twitter
  • Visit SNMMI on Facebook
  • Join SNMMI on LinkedIn
  • Subscribe to JNMT RSS feeds
Research ArticleImaging

The Semicolon Sign: Dopamine Transporter Imaging Artifact from Head Tilt

Matthew F. Covington, Natalie A. McMillan, Ryan J. Avery and Phillip H. Kuo
Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology June 2013, 41 (2) 105-107; DOI: https://doi.org/10.2967/jnmt.112.117184
Matthew F. Covington
Department of Medical Imaging, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Natalie A. McMillan
Department of Medical Imaging, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Ryan J. Avery
Department of Medical Imaging, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Phillip H. Kuo
Department of Medical Imaging, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • Article
  • Figures & Data
  • Info & Metrics
  • PDF
Loading

Article Figures & Data

Figures

  • FIGURE 1.
    • Download figure
    • Open in new tab
    • Download powerpoint
    FIGURE 1.

    Effect of head positioning on axial imaging of caudate (gold) and putamen (blue). These images represent rough approximation of basal ganglia anatomy. (A) Abnormal forward head tilt results in slices (red lines) through caudate head that do not include putamen. Subsequent slices (white lines) demonstrate both caudate and putamen. (B) With correct head positioning, all slices through caudate head also include putamen (white lines).

  • FIGURE 2.
    • Download figure
    • Open in new tab
    • Download powerpoint
    FIGURE 2.

    Semicolon sign. Abnormal forward head tilt creates images in which caudate head is imaged in separate axial slices from putamen. (Images are obtained with filtered backprojection using Butterworth filter with cutoff of 0.6 and order of 8. No attenuation correction was applied. Matrix size of 128 × 128 was acquired at 1.23 zoom and was manually adjusted to zoom of 1.6. Axial images are presented at slice thickness of 2.5 mm. Images were acquired at 30 s/frame over 30-min acquisition time using dual-head camera. Circular orbit was used with radius of 13 cm. Stop-and-shoot setting was 3°. Bottom edge of field of view is positioned at level of patient’s nose). (A) Top 2 rows demonstrate normal appearance of properly aligned caudate heads and putamen with comma appearance. Bottom 2 rows demonstrate semicolon artifact in which caudate heads appear separate from putamen on isolated slices. (B) This graphic depicts separate axial images of caudate heads and putamen that have been superimposed to illustrate semicolon appearance.

  • FIGURE 3.
    • Download figure
    • Open in new tab
    • Download powerpoint
    FIGURE 3.

    Correct head positioning using head holder (Composites Horizons, Inc.). (A) Vertex of head should reach head holder’s superior edge (black line with arrow). Canthomeatal line should be oriented as vertically as possible (black line). Chin should rest in neutral position (connected arrowheads). (B) Incorrect positioning of head within head holder may result in head tilt artifact. Vertex of head does not reach head holder’s superior edge (black line with arrow). Canthomeatal line (black line) is slightly deflected forward, indicating abnormal forward head tilt. Chin is also deflected toward neck (connected arrowheads).

PreviousNext
Back to top

In this issue

Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology: 41 (2)
Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
Vol. 41, Issue 2
June 1, 2013
  • Table of Contents
  • About the Cover
  • Index by author
Print
Download PDF
Article Alerts
Sign In to Email Alerts with your Email Address
Email Article

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word on Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology.

NOTE: We only request your email address so that the person you are recommending the page to knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not capture any email address.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
The Semicolon Sign: Dopamine Transporter Imaging Artifact from Head Tilt
(Your Name) has sent you a message from Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
(Your Name) thought you would like to see the Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology web site.
Citation Tools
The Semicolon Sign: Dopamine Transporter Imaging Artifact from Head Tilt
Matthew F. Covington, Natalie A. McMillan, Ryan J. Avery, Phillip H. Kuo
Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology Jun 2013, 41 (2) 105-107; DOI: 10.2967/jnmt.112.117184

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero
Share
The Semicolon Sign: Dopamine Transporter Imaging Artifact from Head Tilt
Matthew F. Covington, Natalie A. McMillan, Ryan J. Avery, Phillip H. Kuo
Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology Jun 2013, 41 (2) 105-107; DOI: 10.2967/jnmt.112.117184
Twitter logo Facebook logo LinkedIn logo Mendeley logo
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One
Bookmark this article

Jump to section

  • Article
    • Abstract
    • Footnotes
    • REFERENCES
  • Figures & Data
  • Info & Metrics
  • PDF

Related Articles

  • No related articles found.
  • PubMed
  • Google Scholar

Cited By...

  • Brain Imaging Techniques: Improving the Quality
  • Pitfalls and Artifacts of 123I-Ioflupane SPECT in Parkinsonian Syndromes: A Quality Improvement Teaching Tool
  • Brain Imaging Quality Assurance: How to Acquire the Best Brain Images Possible
  • DaTQUANT: The Future of Diagnosing Parkinson Disease
  • False-Positive Findings on Dopamine Transporter SPECT Due to Therapeutic Dextroamphetamine and Amphetamine
  • Google Scholar

More in this TOC Section

  • Improving 90Y PET Scan Image Quality Through Optimized Reconstruction Algorithms
  • Evaluation of Data-Driven Respiration Gating in Continuous Bed Motion in Lung Lesions
  • Optimization of the Attenuation Coefficient for Chang Attenuation Correction in 123I Brain Perfusion SPECT
Show more Imaging

Similar Articles

Keywords

  • dopamine transporter (DAT) imaging
  • imaging artifact
  • basal ganglia
  • Parkinson disease
SNMMI

© 2023 Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology

Powered by HighWire