Open AccessImpact of the Point Spread Function on Maximum Standardized Uptake Value Measurements in Patients with Pulmonary Cancer
Author(s) -
Stéphane Gellée,
Joanne Page,
Bal Sanghera,
Pierre Payoux,
Thomas Wagner
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
world journal of nuclear medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1607-3312
pISSN - 1450-1147
DOI - 10.4103/1450-1147.139144
Subject(s) - medicine , nuclear medicine , positron emission tomography , standardized uptake value , lung cancer , fluorodeoxyglucose , pulmonary function testing , radiology , pathology
Maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) from fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) scans is a semi quantitative measure that is increasingly used in the clinical practice for diagnostic and therapeutic response assessment purposes. Technological advances such as the implementation of the point spread function (PSF) in the reconstruction algorithm have led to higher signal to noise ratio and increased spatial resolution. The impact on SUVmax measurements has not been studied in clinical setting. We studied the impact of PSF on SUVmax in 30 consecutive lung cancer patients. SUVmax values were measured on PET-computed tomography (CT) scans reconstructed iteratively with and without PSF (respectively high-definition [HD] and non-HD). HD SUVmax values were significantly higher than non-HD SUVmax. There was excellent correlation between HD and non-HD values. Details of reconstruction and PSF implementation in particular have important consequences on SUV values. Nuclear Medicine physicians and radiologists should be aware of the reconstruction parameters of PET-CT scans when they report or rely on SUV measurements.