title: Different intravenous contrast media concentrations do not affect clinical assessment of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography scans in an intraindividual comparison.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to perform an intraindividual comparison of the influences of different iodine contrast media on tracer uptake, contrast enhancement, and image quality in combined positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-one patients underwent baseline and follow-up combined PET/CT consisting of low-dose unenhanced and venous contrast-enhanced CT with contrast media containing a high concentration of iodine (iopromide, 370 mg/mL) and a standard iodine concentration (iopromide, 300 mg/mL). The total iodine load (44.4 g) and the iodine delivery rate (1.29 g/s) were identical for the 2 protocols. The mean and maximum standard uptake values, as measures of tracer uptake and contrast enhancement for unenhanced and contrast-enhanced PET/CT, were quantified at 10 different anatomical sites, and images were analyzed for clinically relevant differences.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean and maximum standard uptake values were significantly increased in contrast-enhanced PET/CT compared with unenhanced PET/CT at each anatomical site (P < 0.05). Comparison of tracer uptake between the 300- and 370-mg iodine contrast media showed no significant differences (all P > 0.05). Comparison of contrast enhancement between the 300- and 370-mg iodine contrast media showed no significant difference at any anatomical site (all P > 0.05). Analysis of image quality revealed no clinically relevant differences between the 2 different iodine contrast media (P = 0.739).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of contrast-enhanced CT scans for attenuation correction in PET/CT does not cause clinically relevant artifacts in PET scan reconstruction, regardless of the iodine concentration used. Standard- and high-iodine contrast media can be used equivalently.
authors: Department of Nuclear Medicine, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Aachen, Germany.
authors: Hans W E
authors: HW
authors: Prechtel
authors: Frederik A
authors: FA
authors: Verburg
authors: Moritz
authors: M
authors: Palmowski
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Krohn
authors: Hubertus
authors: H
authors: Pietsch
authors: Christiane K
authors: CK
authors: Kuhl
authors: Felix M
authors: FM
authors: Mottaghy
authors: Florian F
authors: FF
authors: Behrendt
mesh_terms: D003287:Contrast Media; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D007455:Iodine; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D007455:Iodine