Comparative analysis of iterative reconstruction algorithms with resolution recovery and new solid state cameras dedicated to myocardial perfusion imaging.
New technologies are available in myocardial perfusion imaging. They include new software that recovers image resolution and limits image noise, multifocal collimators and dedicated cardiac cameras in which solid-state detectors are used and all available detectors are constrained to imaging just the cardiac field of view. These innovations resulted in shortened study times or reduced administered activity to patients, while preserving image quality. Many single center and some multicenter studies have been published during the introduction of these innovations in the clinical practice. Most of these studies were lead in the framework of "agreement studies" between different methods of clinical measurement. They aimed to demonstrate that these new software/hardware solutions allow the acquisition of images with reduced acquisition time or administered activity with comparable results (as for image quality, image interpretation, perfusion defect quantification, left ventricular volumes and ejection fraction) to the standard-time or standard-dose SPECT acquired with a conventional gamma camera and reconstructed with the traditional FBP method, considered as the gold standard. The purpose of this review is to provide the reader with a comprehensive understanding of the pro and cons of the different approaches summarizing the achievements reached so far and the issues that need further investigations.
Department of Medical Physics, University Hospital "Maggiore della Carità", Novara, Italy. Electronic address: marco.brambilla@maggioreosp.novara.it.
Marco
M
Brambilla
Department of Health Physics, ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo, Milan, Italy.
Michela
M
Lecchi
Department of Medical Physics, University Hospital "Maggiore della Carità", Novara, Italy.
Roberta
R
Matheoud
Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital "Maggiore della Carità", Novara, Italy.
Lucia
L
Leva
Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan and Nuclear Medicine Unit, ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo, Milan, Italy.
Giovanni
G
Lucignani
Unit of Nuclear Medicine and Department of Cardiology, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri S.p.A. SB, Scientific Institute of Veruno IRCCS, Novara, Italy.
Claudio
C
Marcassa
Unit of Nuclear Medicine and Department of Cardiology, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri S.p.A. SB, Scientific Institute of Veruno IRCCS, Novara, Italy.
Orazio
O
Zoccarato
D000465:Algorithms; D015902:Gamma Cameras; D006801:Humans; D055414:Myocardial Perfusion Imaging; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement; D012984:Software; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
Cadmium-zincum-telluride; Iterative reconstruction; Myocardial perfusion imaging; Resolution recovery; SPECT