Initial experience with oral contrast in PET/CT: phantom and clinical studies.
The aims of the study were to evaluate the effects of oral contrast on apparent tracer activity measured with PET/CT when using CT attenuation correction and to report our initial experience in the use of oral contrast with PET/CT.


METHODS
Phantom studies with (18)F activity and saline bags or syringes filled with barium or gastrografin of varying densities were performed using a PET/CT scanner (CT attenuation correction). In the study, 91 clinical patients received dilute oral contrast and were evaluated by whole-body (18)F-FDG PET.


RESULTS
A phantom experiment with CT contrast (1.3% weight/volume [w/v] barium) showed a "cold" area in the cold stomach whereas a phantom with high-density barium (98% w/v) showed an artifactual focus of intense "activity" in the cold stomach. In clinical studies, stomach and right colon were opacified by CT contrast. Maximal measured contrast density was 239 Hounsfield units.


CONCLUSIONS
High-density barium causes overestimation of tissue (18)F-FDG concentration. Low-density barium does not cause significant artifacts and appears suitable for clinical use.
Cohade
Christian
C
Division of Nuclear Medicine, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland 21287-0817, USA.
Osman
Medhat
M
Nakamoto
Yuji
Y
Marshall
Laura T
LT
Links
Jonathan M
JM
Fishman
Elliot K
EK
Wahl
Richard L
RL
D000284:Administration, Oral; D016477:Artifacts; D001466:Barium Sulfate / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003974:Diatrizoate Meglumine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D007422:Intestines / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009334:Neck Muscles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000008:administration & dosage; D013270:Stomach / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D003287:Contrast Media; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D001466:Barium Sulfate; D003974:Diatrizoate Meglumine