RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Image Quality of Cardiac Silicon Photomultiplier PET/CT Using an Infant Phantom of Extremely Low Birth Weight
JF Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
JO J. Nucl. Med. Technol.
FD Society of Nuclear Medicine
SP jnmt.124.267826
DO 10.2967/jnmt.124.267826
A1 Fukuchi, Kazuki
A1 Shibutani, Takayuki
A1 Terakawa, Yusuke
A1 Nouno, Yoshifumi
A1 Tateishi, Emi
A1 Onoguchi, Masahisa
A1 Tetsuya, Fukuda
YR 2024
UL http://tech.snmjournals.org/content/early/2024/06/20/jnmt.124.267826.abstract
AB The lack of pediatrics-specific equipment for nuclear medicine imaging has resulted in insufficient diagnostic information for newborns, especially low-birth-weight infants. Although PET offers high spatial resolution and low radiation exposure, its use in newborns is limited. This study investigated the feasibility of cardiac PET imaging using the latest silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) PET technology in infants of extremely low birth weight (ELBW) using a phantom model. Methods: The study used a phantom model representing a 500-g ELBW infant with brain, cardiac, liver, and lung tissues. The cardiac tissue included a 3-mm-thick defect mimicking myocardial infarction. Organ tracer concentrations were calculated assuming 18F-FDG myocardial viability scans and 18F-flurpiridaz myocardial perfusion scans and were added to the phantom organs. Imaging was performed using an SiPM PET/CT scanner with a 5-min acquisition. The data acquired in list mode were reconstructed using 3-dimensional ordered-subsets expectation maximization with varying iterations. Image evaluation was based on the depiction of the myocardial defect compared with normal myocardial accumulation. Results: Increasing the number of iterations improved the contrast of the myocardial defect for both tracers, with 18F-flurpiridaz showing higher contrast than 18F-FDG. However, even at 50 iterations, both tracers overestimated the defect accumulation. A bull’s-eye image can display the flow metabolism mismatch using images from both tracers. Conclusion: SiPM PET enabled cardiac PET imaging in a 500-g ELBW phantom with a 1-g heart. However, there were limitations in adequately depicting these defects. Considering the image quality and defect contrast,18F-flurpiridaz appears more desirable than 18F-FDG if only one of the two can be used.