Stereotactic radiosurgery planning with ictal SPECT images

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Radiotherapy
• Neurosurgery

Background:

• Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) treatment planning requires precise target localization.
• Current systems like xknife primarily support Computed Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) data.
• Ictal SPECT images offer valuable functional information but are not directly compatible with these planning systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a method for converting raw ictal SPECT images into a DICOM CT-compliant format.
• To enable the utilization of functional SPECT data in SRS treatment planning systems.
• To demonstrate the suitability of combined SPECT and MRI data for SRS target localization.

Main Methods:

• Raw SPECT image data was converted into a DICOM CT fileset adhering to Part 10 standards.
• Detailed minimum requirements for recasting raw images into DICOM CT or MRI datasets were established.
• The method was tested for compatibility with radiotherapy treatment planning systems supporting CT/MRI import.

Main Results:

• A successful conversion method for ictal SPECT images to DICOM CT format was developed.
• The described method facilitates the import of raw image formats into various radiotherapy planning systems.
• The combined use of low-resolution functional SPECT and high-resolution structural MRI proved suitable for SRS planning.

Conclusions:

• Ictal SPECT images can be effectively integrated into SRS treatment planning by converting them to DICOM CT format.
• This approach enhances target localization by combining functional and structural imaging information.
• The developed method offers a versatile solution for incorporating diverse imaging modalities into radiotherapy planning.