Dataset Information

Quantitative lung SPECT applied on simulated early COPD and humans with advanced COPD.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Reduced ventilation in lung regions affected by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), reflected as inhomogeneities in the single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) lung image, is correlated to disease advancement. An analysis method for measuring these inhomogeneities is proposed in this work. The first aim was to develop a quantitative analysis method that could discriminate between Monte Carlo simulated normal and COPD lung SPECT images. A second aim was to evaluate the ability of the present method to discriminate between human subjects with advanced COPD and healthy volunteers.

Methods

In the simulated COPD study, different activity distributions in the lungs were created to mimic the healthy lung (normal) and different levels of COPD. Gamma camera projections were Monte Carlo simulated, representing clinically acquired projections of a patient who had inhaled 125 MBq 99mTc-Technegas followed by a 10-min SPECT examination. Reconstructions were made with iterative ordered subset expectation maximisation. The coefficient of variance (CV) was calculated for small overlapping volumes covering the 3D reconstructed activity distribution. A CV threshold value (CVT) was calculated as the modal value of the CV distribution of the simulated normal. The area under the distribution curve (AUC), for CV values greater than CVT, AUC(CVT), was then calculated. Moreover, five patients with advanced emphysema and five healthy volunteers inhaled approximately 75 MBq 99mTc-Technegas immediately before the 20-min SPECT acquisition. In the human study, CVT was based on the mean CV distribution of the five healthy volunteers.

Results

A significant difference (p < 0.001) was found between the Monte-Carlo simulated normal and COPD lung SPECT examinations. The present method identified a total reduction of ventilation of approximately 5%, not visible to the human eye in the reconstructed image. In humans the same method clearly discriminated between the five healthy volunteers and five patients with advanced COPD (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

While our results are promising, the potential of the AUC(CVT) method to detect less advanced COPD in patients needs further clinical studies.

SUBMITTER: Norberg P

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3706344 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Quantitative lung SPECT applied on simulated early COPD and humans with advanced COPD.

Norberg Pernilla P Persson Hans Lennart HL Carlsson Gudrun Alm GA Bake Björn B Kentson Magnus M Sandborg Michael M Gustafsson Agnetha A

EJNMMI research 20130419 1

<h4>Background</h4>Reduced ventilation in lung regions affected by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), reflected as inhomogeneities in the single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) lung image, is correlated to disease advancement. An analysis method for measuring these inhomogeneities is proposed in this work. The first aim was to develop a quantitative analysis method that could discriminate between Monte Carlo simulated normal and COPD lung SPECT images. A second aim was to ...[more]

PMID: 23597059

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Project description:BackgroundThe introduction of hybrid SPECT/CT devices enables quantitative imaging in SPECT, providing a methodological setup for quantitation using SPECT tracers comparable to PET/CT. We evaluated a specific quantitative reconstruction algorithm for SPECT data using a 99mTc-filled NEMA phantom. Quantitative and qualitative image parameters were evaluated for different parametrizations of the acquisition and reconstruction protocol to identify an optimized quantitative protocol.ResultsThe reconstructed activity concentration (ACrec) and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of all examined protocols (n = 16) were significantly affected by the parametrization of the weighting factor k used in scatter correction, the total number of iterations and the sphere volume (all, p < 0.0001). The two examined SPECT acquisition protocols (with 60 or 120 projections) had a minor impact on the ACrec and no significant impact on the SNR. In comparison to the known AC, the use of default scatter correction (k = 0.47) or object-specific scatter correction (k = 0.18) resulted in an underestimation of ACrec in the largest sphere volume (26.5 ml) by - 13.9 kBq/ml (- 16.3%) and - 7.1 kBq/ml (- 8.4%), respectively. An increase in total iterations leads to an increase in estimated AC and a decrease in SNR. The mean difference between ACrec and known AC decreased with an increasing number of total iterations (e.g., for 20 iterations (2 iterations/10 subsets) = - 14.6 kBq/ml (- 17.1%), 240 iterations (24i/10s) = - 8.0 kBq/ml (- 9.4%), p < 0.0001). In parallel, the mean SNR decreased significantly from 2i/10s to 24i/10s by 76% (p < 0.0001).ConclusionQuantitative SPECT imaging is feasible with the used reconstruction algorithm and hybrid SPECT/CT, and its consistent implementation in diagnostics may provide perspectives for quantification in routine clinical practice (e.g., assessment of bone metabolism). When combining quantitative analysis and diagnostic imaging, we recommend using two different reconstruction protocols with task-specific optimized setups (quantitative vs. qualitative reconstruction). Furthermore, individual scatter correction significantly improves both quantitative and qualitative results.

Project description:PURPOSE:To derive lobar ventilation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) using a rapid time-series hyperpolarized xenon-129 (HPX) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique and compare this to ventilation/perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (V/Q-SPECT), correlating the results with high-resolution computed tomography (CT) and pulmonary function tests (PFTs). MATERIALS AND METHODS:Twelve COPD subjects (GOLD stages I-IV) participated in this study and underwent HPX-MRI, V/Q-SPECT/CT, high-resolution CT, and PFTs. HPX-MRI was performed using a novel time-series spiral k-space sampling approach. Relative percentage ventilations were calculated for individual lobe for comparison to the relative SPECT lobar ventilation and perfusion. The absolute HPX-MRI percentage ventilation in each lobe was compared to the absolute CT percentage emphysema score calculated using a signal threshold method. Pearson's correlation and linear regression tests were performed to compare each imaging modality. RESULTS:Strong correlations were found between the relative lobar percentage ventilation with HPX-MRI and percentage ventilation SPECT (r?=?0.644; p?<?0.001) and percentage perfusion SPECT (r?=?0.767; p?<?0.001). The absolute CT percentage emphysema and HPX percentage ventilation correlation was also statistically significant (r?=?0.695, p?<?0.001). The whole lung HPX percentage ventilation correlated with the PFT measurements (FEV1 with r?=?-?0.886, p?<?0.001*, and FEV1/FVC with r?=?-?0.861, p?<?0.001*) better than the whole lung CT percentage emphysema score (FEV1 with r?=?-?0.635, p?=?0.027; and FEV1/FVC with r?=?-?0.652, p?=?0.021). CONCLUSION:Lobar ventilation with HPX-MRI showed a strong correlation with lobar ventilation and perfusion measurements derived from SPECT/CT, and is better than the emphysema score obtained with high-resolution CT. KEY POINTS:• The ventilation hyperpolarized xenon-129 MRI correlates well with ventilation and perfusion with SPECT/CT with the advantage of higher temporal and spatial resolution. • The hyperpolarized xenon-129 MRI correlates with the PFT measurements better than the high-resolution CT with the advantage of avoiding the use of ionizing radiation.

Dataset Information

Quantitative lung SPECT applied on simulated early COPD and humans with advanced COPD.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Quantitative lung SPECT applied on simulated early COPD and humans with advanced COPD.

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