3D PET Quantifies Cardiac Blood Flow
The Journal of Nuclear Medicine reports that quantitative blood flow analysis can be completed with 3D PET. Benefits of using the 3D approach rather than 2D imaging include reduced radiation exposure for patients.
Existing data indicates that both coronary flow reserve and regional myocardial blood flow MBF can be quantified using 2D PET and a 13N-ammonia tracer. This study sought to determine if 3D PET, similarly, could capture that information. The research team compared findings from 2D PET with 3D PET as a means to quantify MBF.
21 patients with a mean age of 63 were recruited to participate in the trial. Patients were admitted to the hospitals for assessment of myocardial perfusion. Imaging was completed with dynamic 13N-ammonia PET using an integrated PET/CT system from GE Healthcare.
MBF assessments were completed with both 2D and 3D imaging during adenosine stress testing and at rest. Data acquisition with the 3D approach was completed without the interplane septa in the field of view. Images collected were corrected for geometry, dead-time losses, attenuation, random coincidences, normalization, and scatter.
Findings indicate that 3D PET with the associated conversion of images provided information that was identical to that procured with the 2D imaging based on visual analysis of the data. Importantly, the team was able to decrease the tracer dose in one group of patients during the 3D imaging. The researchers note that radiation exposure may also be reduced by employing the 3D rather than 2D imaging for MBF quantification.
Limited data has been described using 3D PET for cardiac applications. The majority of existing data has, instead, focused on the use of this imaging approach for brain imaging. Some additional data available examines such for oncologic evaluation, including assessment of metastases.
January 16, 2008 Related topics: Imaging, Diagnostic, Nuclear Medicine, Cardiology