27. PET Image Interpretation. Attenuation-Corrected (ATN) Vs Non-Attenuation Corrected (NATN) Images

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Medicine
• Oncology Imaging

Background:

• Whole-body FDG PET scans are crucial for oncologic staging and monitoring.
• Assessing the added value of different imaging techniques is essential for optimizing diagnostic accuracy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare lesion detection rates between Attaching to Transmission (ATN) and Non-Attaching to Transmission (NATN) whole-body FDG PET images.
• To determine if NATN images provide additional diagnostic information beyond ATN images in oncologic indications.

Main Methods:

• Sixty-one patients undergoing oncologic FDG PET scans were included.
• Physicians reviewed ATN and NATN images, identifying discordant findings and image differences.
• Image review order was alternated to minimize bias.

Main Results:

• Three discordant findings (lung nodule, AP window node, para-aortic node) were detected exclusively on ATN images.
• ATN images better demonstrated liver metastases and some benign lung lesions.
• NATN images occasionally provided better visualization of pretracheal nodes and hilar activity.

Conclusions:

• ATN images demonstrate superior lesion detection capabilities compared to NATN images in oncologic FDG PET scans.
• Routine review of NATN images may not be essential, potentially streamlining interpretation workflows.