Repeatability of the Maximum Standard Uptake Value (SUVmax) in FDG PET

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Medicine
• Radiology
• Oncology

Background:

• Standardized uptake value maximum (SUVmax) is commonly used in FDG PET imaging for lesion assessment.
• The statistical reliability of SUVmax, representing a small lesion portion, requires validation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the repeatability of SUVmax measurements in chest lesions from serial FDG PET acquisitions.
• To determine the statistical reliability of SUVmax in clinical and systematic FDG PET studies.

Main Methods:

• 100 patients with chest lesions underwent two sequential 3-minute FDG PET scans (PET1 and PET2).
• SUVmax differences (ΔSUVmax) and coefficient of variation (CV) were calculated.
• Correlation analysis assessed ΔSUVmax against lesion SUVmax, metabolic volume, and timing parameters.

Main Results:

• The mean percentage difference in SUVmax between scans was 0.9% (p=0.20), indicating high repeatability.
• The coefficient of variation (CV) was 4.3%, supporting measurement equivalence.
• No significant correlation was found between ΔSUVmax and lesion characteristics or timing.

Conclusions:

• SUVmax is a statistically stable and repeatable parameter from both camera and computational viewpoints in FDG PET imaging.
• Findings support the use of SUVmax for reliable lesion characterization in chest pathologies.