title: Quantification of 99Tcm-HMPAO brain SPET in two series of healthy volunteers using different triple-headed SPET configurations: normal databases and methodological considerations.
abstract: We evaluated the methodological issues underlying the assessment of normal confidence intervals, as used in clinically based region-of-interest (ROI) semi-quantification of 99Tcm-HMPAO brain SPET. At two different centres equipped with high-resolution, triple-headed gamma cameras, HMPAO SPET scans were performed on two groups of 24 and 15 healthy volunteers respectively. Together with an operator-defined analysis (ODA), a semi-automated analysis (SAA) was conducted on the normal datasets in one centre. Tests of intra- and inter-observer variability were performed. Repeat scans were performed within 72 h after the first to analyse short-term regional inter-study variations. The overall regional uptake showed significant differences in most regions between both normal datasets. Intra-observer and inter-observer reproducibility were on average within 4% for the ODA, while for the SAA it was less than 1%. Inter-study variations were excellent for both centres, ranging from -4% to +3% for most regions studied. The variability in clinical brain perfusion studies largely depends on the reproducibility of the data analysis technique. A semi-automated approach shows clear advantages over an entirely operator-defined approach. Intra-subject repeat studies show enough stability for use as reliable baseline measurements in the construction of a normal database or to allow activation studies with high sensitivity.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium. koen.vanlaere@rug.ac.be
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Van Laere
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De Sadeleer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dobbeleir
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bossuyt
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: De Deyn
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dierckx
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D019690:Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019690:Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime