title: Thallium-201 SPECT imaging of brain tumors: methods and results.
abstract: Recent studies suggest that thallium-201 (201Tl) planar scans of brain tumors more accurately reflect viable tumor burden than CT, MRI, or radionuclide studies with other single-photon emitting compounds. We have previously reported the utility of 201Tl SPECT index in distinguishing low- from high-grade gliomas elsewhere. Here we describe the technical considerations of deriving a simple 201Tl index, based on uptake in the tumor normalized to homologous contralateral tissue, from SPECT images of brain tumors. We evaluated the importance of consistently correcting for tissue attenuation, as it may achieve better lesion discrimination on qualitative inspection, and the methodologic limitations imposed by partial volume effects at the limits of resolution.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, UCLA School of Medicine.
authors.forename: K T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Black
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Marciano
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Mazziotta
authors.forename: B H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Guze
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grafton
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Hawkins
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Becker
mesh_terms: D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000145:classification / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000145:classification / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
chemical_list: D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes