Contrast medium injection protocol adjusted for body surface area in combined PET/CT

Area of Science:

• Radiology and Nuclear Medicine
• Medical Imaging Technology
• Diagnostic Imaging

Background:

• Intravenous contrast medium is crucial for numerous positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) applications.
• Standardized contrast administration protocols are essential for reliable diagnostic imaging.
• Variability in contrast medium dose can affect image quality and diagnostic accuracy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy of body surface area (BSA)-adjusted contrast medium dosing versus a fixed-dose protocol in combined PET/CT scans.
• To assess the impact of BSA adjustment on contrast enhancement homogeneity and PET tracer uptake.
• To evaluate the influence of different contrast dosing strategies on overall PET/CT image quality.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study involving 120 patients undergoing (18)F-2-deoxy-fluor-glucose ((18)F-FDG)-PET/CT.
• Patients were divided into two groups: 60 receiving a fixed 148-ml contrast dose and 60 receiving a BSA-adjusted dose.
• Measurements included standardized uptake values (SUVmean, SUVmax) and Hounsfield units (HU) for contrast enhancement; visual assessment of PET image quality was also performed.

Main Results:

• Body surface area (BSA) adjustment led to a significant decrease in the variance of contrast enhancement across all measured anatomical sites compared to the fixed-dose group.
• No statistically significant differences were observed in tracer uptake (SUVmean, SUVmax) between the BSA-adjusted and fixed-dose groups.
• Overall image quality scores showed no significant difference between the two contrast dosing protocols.

Conclusions:

• Body surface area (BSA) adjustment of intravenous contrast medium enhances interpatient consistency in contrast enhancement for PET/CT.
• This method effectively reduces the likelihood of underdosing or overdosing contrast medium.
• The BSA-adjusted contrast medium protocol is recommended for combined PET/CT imaging as it optimizes contrast enhancement without compromising PET data or image quality.