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Rofo 2008; 180(8): 740-745
DOI: 10.1055/s-2008-1027520
Kontrastmittel

© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Highly Iodinated Intravenous Contrast Material for PET/CT – a Feasibility Study

Hochkonzentriertes intravenöses Kontrastmittel in der PET/CTT. A. Heusner1 , H. Kuehl1 , P. Veit-Haibach1 , S. Hahn1 , C. Boy2 , M. Forsting1 , A. Bockisch2 , G. Antoch1
  • 1Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Essen, Germany
  • 2Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Essen, Germany
Further Information

Publication History

received: 20.2.2008

accepted: 7.5.2008

Publication Date:
18 July 2008 (online)

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Zusammenfassung

Ziel: Intravenöse Kontrastmittel (KM) werden in der PET/CT-Bildgebung für eine akkurate Lokalisation einer Läsion verwendet. Sie können jedoch einen Einfluss auf die Quantifizierung der PET-Radionuklidaufnahme haben und Artefakte verursachen, wenn die CT-Daten für die Schwächungskorrektur der PET verwendet werden. Ziel der Studie war zu testen, ob die Gabe hoch konzentrierten Kontrastmittels (HKKM, 400 mg Iod/ml) im Vergleich zur Gabe eines niedriger konzentrierten Kontrastmittels (LKKM, 300 mg Iod/ml) zu einer höheren Zahl von Artefakten und einer größeren Ungenauigkeit in der Nuklidquantifizierung führt. Material und Methoden: In 60 PET/CT-Untersuchungen (je 30 mit HKKM und LKKM) wurde die Traceranreicherung (maximaler Standardized Uptake Value – SUVmax) und die Schwächung in der CT (Hounsfield Units) an 16 definierten Stellen in Gefäßen und Parenchym gemessen. Die Anzahl möglicher PET-Artefakte wurde dokumentiert. Der Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon-Test wurde zur Feststellung statistisch signifikanter Unterschiede verwendet (p < 0,05). Ergebnisse: HKKM verursachte weder einen signifikanten Anstieg des SUVmax (p > 0,05) noch eine vermehrte Anzahl an PET-Artefakten (p > 0,05) bei gleichzeitig signifikanter Steigerung der CT-Schwächung im Vergleich zu LKKM in 11 / 16  Lokalisationen (p = 0,002). Schlussfolgerung: Die Anwendung hochkonzentrierten Kontrastmittels in der PET/CT führt nicht zu einer Verschlechterung der PET-Bildqualität und sollte bei der Gestaltung zukünftiger PET/CT-Protokolle berücksichtigt werden.

Abstract

Purpose: Intravenous contrast materials (CM) are of benefit in PET/CT imaging. However, CM may influence tracer quantification and may cause artifacts when using the CT data for PET attenuation correction. The aim of the study was to assess the feasibility of applying a highly concentrated CM (HCCM, 400 mg iodine/ml) in PET/CT in comparison to a lower concentrated CM (LCCM, 300 mg iodine/ml). Materials and Methods: In 60 whole-body FDG PET/CT scans (30 scans each with HCCM and LCCM), tracer uptake (maximal standardized uptake value – SUVmax) and CT attenuation (Hounsfield Units) were quantified at 16 positions in different vessels and parenchyma. The number of potential PET artifacts was documented. The Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon Test was performed for statistical assessment (p < 0.05). Results: HCCM did not cause a significant increase in the SUVmax (p > 0.05) or the number of PET artifacts (p = 0.69) while simultaneously significantly increasing CT attenuation (p = 0.002) as compared to LCCM in 11 / 16 positions. Conclusion: The application of HCCM seems feasible in PET/CT and should be considered in future protocols.

Key words

PET/CT - contrast medium - artifact - attenuation correction

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Priv.-Doz. Dr. Gerald Antoch

Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital, Essen

Hufelandstr. 55

45122 Essen, Germany

Phone: ++ 49/2 01/72 38 45 99

Fax: ++ 49/2 01/7 23 15 48

Email: gerald.antoch@uni-due.de

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