RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Coincidence Imaging Using 2 Dual-Head γ-Camera Systems, With and Without Attenuation Correction
JF Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
JO J. Nucl. Med. Technol.
FD Society of Nuclear Medicine
SP 190
OP 197
VO 32
IS 4
A1 Even-Sapir, Einat
A1 Yuzefovich, Bella
A1 Miller, Elka
A1 Bouhnik, Jean-Paul
A1 Zak, Osnat
A1 Lerman, Hedva
A1 Lievshitz, Genady
A1 Levin, Charles
YR 2004
UL http://tech.snmjournals.org/content/32/4/190.abstract
AB Objective: Coincidence imaging enhances the potential for imaging a greater number of patients with 18F-FDG in centers that do not have dedicated PET systems. The purpose of this study was to compare, in a clinical setting, coincidence imaging for tumor detection using 2 dual-head γ-camera systems, one equipped with a 5/8-in. (16 mm) detector (CoDe5) and the other equipped with a newly designed 1-in. (25.4 mm) detector (CoDe8) with an x-ray tube installed in its gantry. Methods: Thirty consecutive patients were studied by both systems during the same visit and had 4 image sets for comparison: CoDe5 without attenuation correction (CoDe5NC), CoDe8 with (CoDe8AC) and without (CoDe8NC) attenuation correction, and fused coincidence-CT images. The target-to-background ratio (T/Bg ratio) and target-to-nontarget ratio (T/NT ratio) were calculated for each tumor site. Results: On visual assessment, 61 tumor sites were detected on CoDe8AC images. Of these, 59 (97%) were detected on CoDe8NC and 54 (88%) were detected on CoDe5NC images. Fused images improved image interpretation in 10 patients (33%) compared with coincidence images alone. Data added by fusion were of clinical relevance in 6 patients (20%). On quantitative assessment, the number of accepted events by the CoDe8 was significantly higher than that by CoDe5 (5.21 ± 1.46 million vs. 1.27 ± 0.36 million, P < 0.001). When comparing CoDe5 with CoDe8 images without attenuation correction, the T/Bg and T/NT ratios were significantly higher on the CoDe8 images (P < 0.0005 and P < 0.0005, respectively). When comparing CoDe8 images with and without attenuation correction, the T/Bg ratio was better on the attenuation-corrected images (P < 0.0005). Conclusion: Coincidence imaging with 1-in. detectors and attenuation correction improve image quality and, to a lesser extent, the tumor detection rate compared with the 5/8-in. detectors and noncorrected images. The data added by fusion of coincidence images to CT findings were clinically relevant in 20% of the patients.