title: Computer-aided evaluation of the anatomical accuracy of hybrid SPECT/spiral-CT imaging of lesions localized in the neck and upper abdomen.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to investigate the anatomical accuracy of hardware-based single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) registration in the upper abdomen and neck.
  
  
  METHODS
  The database consisted of 90 patients referred for SPECT/CT for diagnostic workup of either thyroid/parathyroid disease (n=46) or abdominal neuroendocrine tumours (n=44). In the first group, 99mTc-MIBI was used as the tracer and in the second 123I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (n=13), 111In-octreotide (n=28) or 99mTc-octreotide (n=3). For predefined structures represented by both modalities, the distances between the centres of gravity of their CT and SPECT representation were determined in a semiautomated manner. In cervical data sets, this analysis was performed for the submandibular salivary glands (n=92) and in abdominal data sets for 69 neoplastic foci.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean distances were 5.7 ± 2.0 mm (range: 1.84-9.67 mm) in the neck and 6.8 ± 3.3 mm (range: 1.4-19.7 mm) in the abdomen. In 42 out of 92 of the cervical and 40 out of 69 of the abdominal data sets at least one of the X-direction-determined, Y-direction-determined, and Z-direction-determined distances was greater than the SPECT pixel width of 4.6 mm.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The anatomical accuracy of hardware-based SPECT/CT fusion depends also on the region of the body studied. For example, in the neck and upper abdomen the accuracy is lower than in the lower lumbar spine. In clinical routine, SPECT/CT data sets acquired for the neck and upper abdomen should be regularly checked and corrected for SPECT/CT misalignment. This is, in particular, important when CT-based corrections of SPECT involving pixelwise data integration such as for attenuation correction are made.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Nuclear Medicine, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bennewitz
authors.forename: Torsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kuwert
authors.forename: Jingfeng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Philipp
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ritt
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hahn
authors.forename: Willie
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Thimister
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hornegger
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Uder
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schmidt
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D003658:Decision Making, Computer-Assisted; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009333:Neck / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012984:Software; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D036542:Tomography, Spiral Computed; D055815:Young Adult