title: What is the benefit of CT-based attenuation correction in myocardial perfusion SPET?
abstract: In multimodality imaging, CT-derived transmission maps are used for attenuation correction (AC) of SPET or PET data. Regarding SPET myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI), however, the bene����t of CT-based AC (CT-AC) has been questioned. Although most attenuation-related artifacts are removed by this technique, new false defects may appear while some true perfusion abnormalities may be masked. The merits and the drawbacks of CT-AC in MPI SPET are reviewed and discussed in this editorial. In conclusion, CT-AC is most helpful in men, overweight in particular, and in those with low or low to intermediate pre-test probability of coronary artery disease (CAD). It is also useful for the evaluation of myocardial viability. In high-risk patients though, CT-AC may underestimate the presence or the extent of CAD. In any case, corrected and non-corrected images should be viewed side-by-side and both considered in the interpretation of the study.
authors.affiliation: University of Patras, Medical School, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Rio, Achaia, Greece. dimap@med.upatras.gr.
authors.forename: Dimitrios J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Apostolopoulos
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Savvopoulos
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D064847:Multimodal Imaging; D055414:Myocardial Perfusion Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon / Q000379:methods*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed