Whole-Body SPECT/CT: Protocol Variation and Technical Consideration-A Narrative Review

Area of Science:

• Hybrid imaging techniques in nuclear medicine.
• Advanced SPECT/CT applications for oncological imaging.

Background:

• Hybrid imaging, specifically SPECT/CT, improves diagnostic capabilities over standalone modalities.
• Advancements in SPECT technology enable novel clinical applications like whole-body imaging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and highlight key aspects of whole-body SPECT/CT (WB-SPECT/CT) acquisition protocols.
• To address emerging questions and optimize workflow processes for WB-SPECT/CT imaging.
• To provide guidance for understanding and implementing WB-SPECT/CT protocols.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature and clinical practices concerning WB-SPECT/CT acquisition.
• Comparative analysis of WB-SPECT/CT versus planar bone scintigraphy (PBS) for bone metastases (BM) evaluation.
• Discussion of parameters influencing WB-SPECT/CT protocol design, including imaging time and workflow.

Main Results:

• WB-SPECT/CT demonstrates superior performance in evaluating bone metastases (BM) compared to PBS.
• WB-SPECT/CT reduces equivocal findings and increases user confidence in diagnosing BM.
• The increasing utilization of WB-SPECT/CT necessitates standardized and optimized acquisition protocols.

Conclusions:

• WB-SPECT/CT is a valuable tool for bone metastases (BM) detection, potentially replacing PBS.
• Optimization of WB-SPECT/CT acquisition protocols is crucial for efficient and effective clinical implementation.
• Further research and standardization are needed to fully leverage the benefits of WB-SPECT/CT.