Development and validation of a pulmonary embolism quantification method using single photon emission computed...

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Medicine
• Radiology
• Cardiovascular Imaging

Background:

• Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a significant cause of mortality and morbidity.
• Current PE imaging lacks standardized quantitative methods for management guidance.
• Volumetric quantification of PE burden is needed for better patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and optimize a volumetric quantification technique for PE using V/Q SPECT.
• To utilize phantom studies and clinical data for method validation.
• To establish a semiautomated %PE quantification method.

Main Methods:

• Utilized V/Q SPECT phantoms with known PE defect volumes.
• Analyzed 100 consecutive clinical V/Q SPECT studies.
• Employed advanced image analysis with semiautomated %PE quantification.

Main Results:

• Acquisition, reconstruction parameters, and threshold choices impact %PE results.
• A V/Q quotient image with phantom-optimized parameters proved most accurate.
• The developed method demonstrated successful semiautomated %PE quantification.

Conclusions:

• A robust method for semiautomated V/Q SPECT %PE quantification was successfully developed.
• This technique shows potential for guiding PE patient management.
• The quantification method may aid in predicting patient outcomes.