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Ventilation/perfusion SPECT or SPECT/CT for lung function imaging in patients with pulmonary emphysema?

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Abstract

Purpose

To evaluate the utility of attenuation correction (AC) of V/P SPECT images for patients with pulmonary emphysema.

Materials and methods

Twenty-one patients (mean age 67.6 years) with pulmonary emphysema who underwent V/P SPECT/CT were included. AC/non-AC V/P SPECT images were compared visually and semiquantitatively. Visual comparison of AC/non-AC images was based on a 5-point likert scale. Semiquantitative comparison assessed absolute counts per lung (aCpLu) and lung lobe (aCpLo) for AC/non-AC images using software-based analysis; percentage counts (PC = (aCpLo/aCpLu) × 100) were calculated. Correlation between AC/non-AC V/P SPECT images was analyzed using Spearman’s rho correlation coefficient; differences were tested for significance with the Wilcoxon rank sum test.

Results

Visual analysis revealed high conformity for AC and non-AC V/P SPECT images. Semiquantitative analysis of PC in AC/non-AC images had an excellent correlation and showed no significant differences in perfusion (ρ = 0.986) or ventilation (ρ = 0.979, p = 0.809) SPECT/CT images.

Conclusion

AC of V/P SPECT images for lung lobe-based function imaging in patients with pulmonary emphysema do not improve visual or semiquantitative image analysis.

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Acknowledgments

V. Froeling is a participant of the Charité Clinical Scientist Program funded by the Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the Berlin Institute of Health.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany

    Vera Froeling, Felix Doellinger, Dominik Geisel & Bernd Hamm

  2. Department of Nuclear Medicine, Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany

    Uwe Heimann, Winfried Brenner & Nils F. Schreiter

  3. Department of Internal Medicine/Infectious Diseases and Respiratory Medicine, Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany

    Ralf-Harto Huebner

  4. Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, Klinikum Augsburg, Stenglinstrasse 2, 86156, Augsburg, Germany

    Thomas J. Kroencke

  5. Department of Radiology, Neuroradiology and Nuclear Medicine (DIPR), Inselspital, Universitätsspital Bern, Freiburgstrasse 10, INO B, 3010, Bern, Switzerland

    Martin H. Maurer

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  1. Vera Froeling
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  2. Uwe Heimann
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Correspondence to Vera Froeling.

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Froeling, V., Heimann, U., Huebner, RH. et al. Ventilation/perfusion SPECT or SPECT/CT for lung function imaging in patients with pulmonary emphysema?. Ann Nucl Med 29, 528–534 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12149-015-0976-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12149-015-0976-4

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