open access

Vol 20, No 2 (2017)
Research paper
Submitted: 2016-12-01
Accepted: 2017-01-15
Published online: 2017-02-15
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Assessment of the myocardial FDG-PET image quality with the use of maximal Standardized Uptake Value myocardial to background index. Application of the results in regard to semiquantitative assessment of myocardial viability with cardiac dedicated softwar

Małgorzata Kobylecka1, Tomasz Mazurek2, Katarzyna Fronczewska-Wieniawska1, Anna Fojt2, Anna Słowikowska3, Joanna Mączewska1, Marek Chojnowski1, Adam Bajera1, Maria Teresa Płazińska1, Leszek Królicki1
·
Pubmed: 28555447
·
Nucl. Med. Rev 2017;20(2):69-75.
Affiliations
  1. Nuclear Medicine Department, Medical University of Warsaw, Banacha 1a, 02–097 Warsaw, Poland
  2. Ist Chair and Department of Cardiology, Medical University of Warsaw, Banacha 1a, 02–097 Warsaw, Poland
  3. Department of Cardiac Surgery, I Chair and Department of Cardiology, Medical University of Warsaw, Banacha 1a, 02–097 Warsaw, Poland

open access

Vol 20, No 2 (2017)
Original articles
Submitted: 2016-12-01
Accepted: 2017-01-15
Published online: 2017-02-15

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to semiquantitatively assess the degree of myocardial fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake in glucose-loaded myocardial viability positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scans, to calculate the myocardial to background index, and correlate the index with image quality assessed on the basis of visual qualitative assessment.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: The myocardial FDG-PET/CT study was carried out in 69 non-diabetic patients, who had known coronary artery disease, by intravenous injection of 250 ± 70 MBq (range: 180–320 MBq) FDG. Images were interpreted visually and patients were divided into three groups according to the grade of myocardial uptake: optimal, suboptimal, and uninterpretable. Semiquantitative analysis was performed by calculating the standardized uptake value (SUVmax) for myocardium and background (blood pool) activity, and expressed as the myocardial to background (M/B) activity ratio.

RESULTS: On the basis of visual (qualitative) analysis, 60/69 (86.96%) patients showed optimal quality of FDG cardiac uptake, 3/69 (4.35%) were suboptimal, and uninterpretable FDG PET scan results were found in 6/69 (8.70%) patients. The M/B index was found to be significantly higher in images of optimal vs. suboptimal quality (6.87 ± 3.99 vs. 1.65 ± 0.78 respectively; p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS: The index ratio of 2.2, which is consistent with the upper borderline value for visually uninterpretable images, was considered the cut-off value for scans of optimal and non-optimal quality.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to semiquantitatively assess the degree of myocardial fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake in glucose-loaded myocardial viability positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scans, to calculate the myocardial to background index, and correlate the index with image quality assessed on the basis of visual qualitative assessment.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: The myocardial FDG-PET/CT study was carried out in 69 non-diabetic patients, who had known coronary artery disease, by intravenous injection of 250 ± 70 MBq (range: 180–320 MBq) FDG. Images were interpreted visually and patients were divided into three groups according to the grade of myocardial uptake: optimal, suboptimal, and uninterpretable. Semiquantitative analysis was performed by calculating the standardized uptake value (SUVmax) for myocardium and background (blood pool) activity, and expressed as the myocardial to background (M/B) activity ratio.

RESULTS: On the basis of visual (qualitative) analysis, 60/69 (86.96%) patients showed optimal quality of FDG cardiac uptake, 3/69 (4.35%) were suboptimal, and uninterpretable FDG PET scan results were found in 6/69 (8.70%) patients. The M/B index was found to be significantly higher in images of optimal vs. suboptimal quality (6.87 ± 3.99 vs. 1.65 ± 0.78 respectively; p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS: The index ratio of 2.2, which is consistent with the upper borderline value for visually uninterpretable images, was considered the cut-off value for scans of optimal and non-optimal quality.

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Keywords

fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography, SUVmax, myocardial to background ratio, myocardial uptake, myocardial viability

About this article
Title

Assessment of the myocardial FDG-PET image quality with the use of maximal Standardized Uptake Value myocardial to background index. Application of the results in regard to semiquantitative assessment of myocardial viability with cardiac dedicated softwar

Journal

Nuclear Medicine Review

Issue

Vol 20, No 2 (2017)

Article type

Research paper

Pages

69-75

Published online

2017-02-15

Page views

1374

Article views/downloads

1732

DOI

10.5603/NMR.a2017.0010

Pubmed

28555447

Bibliographic record

Nucl. Med. Rev 2017;20(2):69-75.

Keywords

fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography
SUVmax
myocardial to background ratio
myocardial uptake
myocardial viability

Authors

Małgorzata Kobylecka
Tomasz Mazurek
Katarzyna Fronczewska-Wieniawska
Anna Fojt
Anna Słowikowska
Joanna Mączewska
Marek Chojnowski
Adam Bajera
Maria Teresa Płazińska
Leszek Królicki

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