PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Akira Suzuki
AU  - Kichiro Koshida
AU  - Kosuke Matsubara
TI  - Effects of Pacemaker, Implantable Cardioverter–Defibrillator, and Left Ventricular Leads on CT-Based Attenuation Correction
AID  - 10.2967/jnmt.113.133736
DP  - 2014 Mar 01
TA  - Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
PG  - 37--41
VI  - 42
IP  - 1
4099  - http://tech.snmjournals.org/content/42/1/37.short
4100  - http://tech.snmjournals.org/content/42/1/37.full
SO  - J. Nucl. Med. Technol.2014 Mar 01; 42
AB  - CT-based attenuation correction (CTAC) of myocardial SPECT images has been becoming more popular—and the application of SPECT/CT increasing—because it prevents attenuation-induced image degradation. However, CTAC can be affected by overestimation of counts caused by metals. It is possible that pacemaker, left ventricle (LV), and implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) leads have an influence on myocardial SPECT findings. The present study investigated the impact of these leads on SPECT with CTAC. Methods: Pacemaker, LV, and ICD leads were examined using a simple phantom and a cardiac phantom. The effects of metal artifacts from leads in high-resolution mode and ultra-high-resolution mode were assessed using a simple phantom. Images and polar maps were generated from the cardiac phantom. Results: The pacemaker and LV leads essentially had no influence, whereas the ICD lead resulted in maximal (6%) overestimation in a study investigating which metals cause artifacts that affect CTAC. None of the leads seriously influenced CTAC when the cardiac phantom was used. Conclusion: Small pacemaker or ICD and LV leads will cause a slight overestimation, but CTAC should be used because it can correct attenuation of the inferior and anteroseptal walls on SPECT images.