Left ventricular function parameters obtained from gated myocardial perfusion SPECT imaging: a comparison of two data processing systems.
OBJECTIVE
The Cedars-Sinai Quantitative Gated Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) (QGS) program, used to quantify left ventricular function parameters from gated myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS), has been extensively validated and compared with other methods of quantification. However, little is known about the reproducibility of QGS on different processing systems. This study compared the findings of QGS running on workstations provided by two different manufacturers.


METHODS
Gated rest MPS studies of 50 patients were analysed retrospectively. Filtered back-projection (FBP) was performed using identical parameters on Philips Pegasys and Nuclear Diagnostics Hermes workstations to produce gated short-axis (SA) slices. In addition, the gated SA slices reconstructed on the Pegasys were transferred to the Hermes. QGS was used to calculate the end-diastolic volume (EDV), end-systolic volume (ESV) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in each case.


RESULTS
The mean+/-standard deviation differences between the Pegasys and Hermes function parameters were -7.06+/-3.91 ml (EDV), -5.54+/-3.21 ml (ESV) and +1.14%+/-1.43% (LVEF) when data were reconstructed on different systems, and -0.16+/-1.58 ml (EDV), -0.10+/-1.02 ml (ESV) and +0.14%+/-0.73% (LVEF) when data were reconstructed on the same system. Bland-Altman plots showed definite trends for EDV and ESV for data reconstructed on different systems, but no trends were seen for data reconstructed on the same system.


CONCLUSIONS
When data were reconstructed on two separate systems, the difference between the function parameters obtained from Pegasys and Hermes could be ascribed to differences in the reconstruction process on each system despite the use of identical parameters (filters, etc). However, when the same reconstructed data were analysed on both systems, no significant difference in left ventricular function parameters was observed.
Tout
Deborah A
DA
Imperial College London, National Heart and Lung Institute, Royal Brompton Campus, London, UK. d.tout@rbh.nthames.nhs.uk
Rogers
Angela
A
Van Aswegen
Andries
A
Underwood
Stephen R
SR
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000465:Algorithms; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D015637:Gated Blood-Pool Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012984:Software; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon / Q000379:methods*; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology