Evaluating two respiratory correction methods for abdominal PET/MRI imaging
Weiwei Ruan1,2, Fang Liu1,2, Xun Sun1,2
1Department of Nuclear Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1277 Jiefang Ave, Wuhan, 430022, China.
Background:
To evaluate two respiratory correction methods for abdominal PET/MRI images and further to analyse the effects on standard uptake values (SUVs) of respiratory motion correction, 17 patients with 25 abdominal lesions on 18F-FDG PET/CT were scanned with PET/MRI. PET images were reconstructed using end-expiratory respiratory gating and multi-bin respiratory gating. Meanwhile, full data and the first 3 min and 20 s of data acquired both without respiratory gating were reconstructed for evaluation. Five parameters, including the SUVmax and SUVmean in the lesions, the SUVmean and standard deviation (SD) in the background, and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), were calculated and used for statistical comparisons. The differences in multi-bin respiratory gating and reconstruction of full data, relative to the reconstruction of the first 3 min and 20 s of data acquired, were calculated.
Results:
Compared with PET/CT, the longer scanning time of abdominal PET/MRI makes respiratory motion correction necessary. The multi-bin respiratory gating correction could reduce the PET image blur and increase the SUVmax (11.98%) and SUVmean (13.12%) of the lesions significantly (p = 0.00), which was much more effective than end-expiratory respiratory gating for abdominal PET/MRI. The added value of SUVmax caused by respiratory motion correction has no significant difference compared with that caused by count loss with the correction (p = 0.39), which was rarely reported by previous studies.
Conclusion:
Based on the current parameters, the method of multi-bin respiratory gating was more effective for respiratory motion correction in abdominal PET/MRI in comparisons with the method of end-respiratory gating. However, the increased noise in gated images, due to the fact that PET data get discarded, is partly responsible for the increase in SUVmax.
Insights
Multi-bin respiratory gating significantly improves abdominal PET/MRI scans by reducing motion blur and increasing lesion Standard Uptake Values (SUVs). This method is more effective than end-expiratory gating, though increased noise in gated images impacts SUVmax.
Area of Science:
- Medical Imaging
- Nuclear Medicine
- Radiology
Background:
- Abdominal PET/MRI scans require respiratory motion correction due to longer acquisition times compared to PET/CT.
- Standard Uptake Values (SUVs) in lesions can be affected by respiratory motion.
- Evaluating respiratory motion correction methods is crucial for accurate abdominal PET/MRI interpretation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the effectiveness of two respiratory correction methods (end-expiratory gating and multi-bin gating) for abdominal PET/MRI.
- To analyze the impact of respiratory motion correction on Standard Uptake Values (SUVs) in abdominal lesions.
- To evaluate image quality parameters including SUVmax, SUVmean, and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).
Main Methods:
- 17 patients with abdominal lesions underwent PET/MRI scans after PET/CT.
- PET images were reconstructed using end-expiratory gating and multi-bin gating.
- Full data and partial data (first 3 min 20 s) without gating were reconstructed for comparison. SUVmax, SUVmean, background SUVmean, SD, and SNR were calculated.
Main Results:
- Multi-bin gating significantly reduced PET image blur and increased lesion SUVmax (11.98%) and SUVmean (13.12%) compared to no gating (p=0.00).
- Multi-bin gating was more effective than end-expiratory gating for abdominal PET/MRI.
- The increase in SUVmax due to motion correction was not significantly different from that caused by count loss (p=0.39).
Conclusions:
- Multi-bin respiratory gating is a more effective method for respiratory motion correction in abdominal PET/MRI than end-expiratory gating.
- Increased noise in gated images, resulting from discarded PET data, contributes to the rise in SUVmax.
- Respiratory motion correction is necessary for accurate abdominal PET/MRI, with multi-bin gating showing superior performance.
More Related Videos
08:223D Cine Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Respiratory Motion in Mechanically Ventilated Mice and Rats
Published on: September 19, 2025
02:09Multi-modal Pulmonary Imaging: Using Complementary Information from CT and Hyperpolarized 129Xe MRI to Evaluate Lung Structure-Function
Published on: April 12, 2024
