Top

Annals of Nuclear Medicine

Published in:

01-11-2013 | Original Article

Evaluation of noise equivalent count parameters as indicators of adult whole-body FDG-PET image quality

Authors: Garry M. McDermott, Fahmid U. Chowdhury, Andrew F. Scarsbrook

Published in: Annals of Nuclear Medicine | Issue 9/2013

Abstract

Objectives

The aim of this study was to assess variation of qualitative and quantitative PET/CT image quality parameters with acquisition time, injection activity and body mass for a representative group of adults undergoing whole-body PET/CT imaging.

Methods

PET scan data from sixty patients were reconstructed with a scan time of 1, 2 and 3 min/bed position. These images were visually scored and three quantitative parameters were calculated: noise equivalent counts per axial length (NEC_patient), noise equivalent count density (NEC_density) and liver signal to noise ratio (liver SNR). The ability of the three quantitative parameters to discriminate qualitative image quality was assessed using ROC analysis.

Results

The quantitative parameters were shown to discriminate images of good/excellent quality from those of poorer image quality with a high degree of accuracy (ROC area >0.9); further, NEC_patient had significantly higher discrimination than either NEC_density or liver SNR (ROC area = 0.97).

Conclusions

NEC_patient, NEC_density and liver SNR all have high discrimination for qualitatively assessed PET image quality. NEC_patient in particular is an effective objective indicator of patient image quality, which will help to assess and standardise scan protocols for purposes such as multi-centre research trials.

Boellaard R. Standards for PET image acquisition and quantitative data analysis. J Nucl Med. 2009;50:11S–20S.CrossRefPubMed

Buckler AJ, Boellaard R. Standardization of quantitative imaging: the time is right, and 18F-FDG PET/CT is a good place to start. J Nucl Med. 2011;52:171–2.CrossRefPubMed

Delbeke D, Coleman RE, Guiberteau MJ, Brown ML, Royal HD, Siegel BA, et al. Procedure guideline for tumor imaging with 18F-FDG PET/CT 1.0. J Nucl Med. 2006;47:885–95.PubMed

Boellaard R, O’Doherty MJ, Weber W, Mottaghy FM, Lonsdale MN, Stroobants SG, et al. FDG PET and PET/CT: EANM procedure guidelines for tumour PET imaging: version 1.0. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2010;37:181–200.CrossRefPubMed

Fukukita H, Senda M, Terauchi T, Suzuki K, Daisaki H, Matsumoto K, et al. Japanese guideline for the oncology FDG-PET/CT data acquisition protocol: synopsis of Version 1.0. Ann Nucl Med. 2010;24:325–34.CrossRefPubMed

Brown C, Dempsey MF, Gillen G, Elliot AT. Investigation of ¹⁸F-FDG 3D mode PET image quality versus acquisition time. Nucl Med Commun. 2010;31:254–9.CrossRefPubMed

Masuda Y, Kondo C, Matsuo Y, Uetani M, Kusakabe K. Comparison of imaging protocols ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT in overweight patients: optimizing scan duration versus administered dose. J Nucl Med. 2009;50:844–8.CrossRefPubMed

Mizuta T, Senda M, Okamura T, Kitamura K, Inaoka Y, Takahashi M, et al. NEC density and Liver ROI S/N ratio for image quality control of whole body FDG-PET scans: comparison with visual assessment. Mol Imaging Biol. 2009;11:480–6.CrossRefPubMed

Watson CC, Casey ME, Bendiem B, Carney JP, Townsend DW, Eberl S, et al. Optimizing injected dose in clinical PET by accurately modelling the count rate response functions specific to individual patient scans. J Nucl Med. 2005;46:1825–34.PubMed

10.

Accorsi R, Karp JS, Surti S. Improved dose regimen in pediatric PET. J Nucl Med. 2010;51:293–300.CrossRefPubMed

11.

Chang T, Chang G, Kohlmeyer S, Clark JW, Rohren E, Mawlawi OR. Effects of injection dose, BMI and scanner type on NECR and image noise in PET imaging. Phys Med Biol. 2011;56:5275–85.CrossRefPubMed

12.

Chang T, Chang G, Clark JW, Diab RH, Rohren E, Mawlawi OR. Reliability of predicting image signal-to-noise ratio using noise equivalent count rate in PET imaging. Med Phys. 2012;39:5891–900.CrossRefPubMed

13.

Perkins A, Stearns C, Chapman J, Kolthammer J, Williams JJ, Casey M. NEMA Standards Publication NU 2-2007: Performance measurements of positron emission tomographs. Rosslyn USA: National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA);2007.

14.

Lois C, Jakoby BW, Long MJ, Hubner KF, Barker DW, Casey ME, et al. An assessment of the impact of incorporating time-of-flight information into clinical PET/CT imaging. J Nucl Med. 2010;51:237–45.CrossRefPubMed

15.

Kamimura K, Nagamachi S, Wakamatsu H, Higashi R, Ogita M, Ueno S, et al. Associations between liver (18)F fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose accumulation and various clinical parameters in a Japanese population: influence of the metabolic syndrome. Ann Nucl Med. 2010;24:157–61.CrossRefPubMed

16.

Bettinardi V, Presotto L, Rapisarda E, Picchio M, Gianolli L, Gilardi MC. Physical performance of the new hybrid PET/CT Discovery 690. Med Phys. 2011;38:5394–411.CrossRefPubMed

Title: Evaluation of noise equivalent count parameters as indicators of adult whole-body FDG-PET image quality
Authors: Garry M. McDermott
Fahmid U. Chowdhury
Andrew F. Scarsbrook
Publication date: 01-11-2013
Publisher: Springer Japan
Published in: Annals of Nuclear Medicine / Issue 9/2013
Print ISSN: 0914-7187
Electronic ISSN: 1864-6433
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12149-013-0760-2

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Evaluation of noise equivalent count parameters as indicators of adult whole-body FDG-PET image quality

Abstract

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 9/2013

Prognostic values of initial responses to low-dose 131I-MIBG therapy in patients with malignant pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma

Feasibility and kinetic characteristics of 68Ga-NOTA-RGD PET for in vivo atherosclerosis imaging

The promise and limits of PET texture analysis

Quantitative CBF measurement using an integrated SPECT/CT system: validation of three-dimensional ordered-subset expectation maximization and CT-based attenuation correction by comparing with O-15 water PET

Diagnostic usefulness of an amino acid tracer, α-[N-methyl-11C]-methylaminoisobutyric acid (11C-MeAIB), in the PET diagnosis of chest malignancies

Comment on Minamimoto: incidental focal FDG uptake in heart is a lighthouse for considering cardiac screening