Accuracy Evaluation of CT-Based Attenuation Correction in SPECT with Different Energy of Radioisotopes

SPECT/CT에서 CT를 기반으로 한 Attenuation Correction의 정확도 평가

Purpose: In this study, we evaluated the accuracy of CT-based attenuation correction (AC) under the conventional CT protocol (140 kVp, on average 50-60 keV) by comparing the SPECT image qualities of different energy of radioisotopes, $^{201}Tl,\;^{99m}Tc$ and $^{131}I$. Materials and Methods: Using a cylindrical phantom, three different SPECT scans of $^{201}Tl$ (70 keV, 55.5 MBq), $^{99m}Tc$ (140 keV, 281.2 MBq) and $^{131}I$ (364 keV, 96.2 MBq) were performed. The CT image was obtained with 140 kVp and 2.5 mA in GE Hawkeye 4. The OSEM reconstruction algorithm was performed with 2 iterations and 10 subsets. The experiments were performed in the 4 different conditions; non-AC and non-scatter correction (SC), only AC, only SC, AC and SC in terms of uniformity and center to peripheral ratio (CPR). Results: The uniformity was calculated from the uniform whole region in the reconstructed images. For $^{201}Tl$ and $^{99m}Tc$, the uniformities were improved by about 10-20% AC was applied, but these were decreased by about 2% as SC was applied. The uniformity of $^{131}I$ was slightly increased as both AC and SC were applied. The CPR of the reconstructed image was close to one, when AC was applied for $^{201}Tl$ and $^{99m}Tc$ scans and $^{131}I$ was distant from 1 and that is only AC. Conclusion: The image uniformity improved by AC on low energy likely to $^{201}Tl$ and $^{99m}Tc$. However, image uniformity of high energy such as $^{131}I$ was improved, when both AC and SC was applied.

SPECT/CT에서 140 kVp를 사용하는 CT 평균 에너지를 60 keV로 가정하고, CT 평균 에너지와 $^{201}Tl,\;^{99m}Tc,\;^{131}I$의 각기 다른 3가지 에너지를 서로 비교하여 감쇠 보정과 산란 보정의 정확도를 평가하고자 한다. Cylindrical phantom 에 $^{201}Tl$은 55.5 MBq (2 mCi), $^{99m}Tc$은 281.2 MBq (7.6 mCi), $^{131}I$은 96.2 MBq (2.66 mCi)를 주입하고 장비는 GE사의 Hawkeye 4 SPECT/CT를 사용하였다. 모든 SPECT는 frame 당 약 50 kcounts, CT는 140 kVp, 2.5 mA로 하여 영상을 얻었다. 영상은 OSEM (iteration: 2, subset: 10)으로 재구성하였고, 이때 감쇠 보정 적용 유무, 산란 보정 적용 유무를 서로 비교했다. 전체 phantom 영상의 uniformity를 모두 측정하고, center to peripheral ratio (CPR)를 구하여 평가하였다. $^{201}Tl$과 $^{99m}Tc$의 재구성 영상에 감쇠 보정만 적용한 경우 약 10-20% 정도 uniformity가 향상되지만, SC만 적용한 경우에는 약 2% 감소하였다. $^{131}I$의 uniformity는 감쇠 보정과 산란 보정을 모두 적용한 경우에 조금 향상되었다. 또한 CPR은 $^{201}Tl$과 $^{99m}Tc$에서 감쇠 보정만 적용한 경우에 1에 가까웠고, $^{131}I$의 영상에서는 감쇠 보정만 적용한 경우 1에 가깝지 않은 결과가 나타났다. SPECT/CT에서 140 kVp의 CT 평균 에너지를 60 keV이라고 가정했을 때, 대체적으로 에너지가 낮은 $^{201}Tl$과 $^{99m}Tc$은 감쇠 보정만 적용한 경우에 uniformity가 향상되었고, 에너지가 높은 $^{131}I$ 은 감쇠 보정과 산란 보정을 모두 적용한 경우에만 향상되었다.