PURPOSE: To investigate the clinical performance of a block sequential regularized expectation maximization (BSREM) penalized likelihood reconstruction algorithm in oncologic PET/computed tomography (CT) studies. METHODS: A total of 410 reconstructions of 41 fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose-PET/CT studies of 41 patients with a total of 2010 lesions were analyzed by two experienced nuclear medicine physicians. Images were reconstructed with BSREM (with four different β values) or ordered subset expectation maximization (OSEM) algorithm with/without time-of-flight (TOF/non-TOF) corrections. OSEM reconstruction postfiltering was 4.0 mm full-width at half-maximum; BSREM did not use postfiltering. Evaluation of general image quality was performed with a five-point scale using maximum intensity projections. Artifacts (category 1), image sharpness (category 2), noise (category 3), and lesion detectability (category 4) were analyzed using a four-point scale. Size and maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of lesions were measured by a third reader not involved in the image evaluation. RESULTS: BSREM-TOF reconstructions showed the best results in all categories, independent of different body compartments. In all categories, BSREM non-TOF reconstructions were significantly better than OSEM non-TOF reconstructions (P<0.001). In almost all categories, BSREM non-TOF reconstruction was comparable to or better than the OSEM-TOF algorithm (P<0.001 for general image quality, image sharpness, noise, and P=1.0 for artifact). Only in lesion detectability was OSEM-TOF significantly better than BSREM non-TOF (P<0.001). Both BSREM-TOF and BSREM non-TOF showed a decreasing SUVmax with increasing β values (P<0.001) and TOF reconstructions showed a significantly higher SUVmax than non-TOF reconstructions (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: The BSREM reconstruction algorithm showed a relevant improvement compared with OSEM reconstruction in PET/CT studies in all evaluated categories. BSREM might be used in clinical routine in conjunction with TOF to achieve better/higher image quality and lesion detectability or in PET/CT-systems without TOF-capability for enhancement of overall image quality as well.
PURPOSE: To investigate the clinical performance of a block sequential regularized expectation maximization (BSREM) penalized likelihood reconstruction algorithm in oncologic PET/computed tomography (CT) studies. METHODS: A total of 410 reconstructions of 41 fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose-PET/CT studies of 41 patients with a total of 2010 lesions were analyzed by two experienced nuclear medicine physicians. Images were reconstructed with BSREM (with four different β values) or ordered subset expectation maximization (OSEM) algorithm with/without time-of-flight (TOF/non-TOF) corrections. OSEM reconstruction postfiltering was 4.0 mm full-width at half-maximum; BSREM did not use postfiltering. Evaluation of general image quality was performed with a five-point scale using maximum intensity projections. Artifacts (category 1), image sharpness (category 2), noise (category 3), and lesion detectability (category 4) were analyzed using a four-point scale. Size and maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of lesions were measured by a third reader not involved in the image evaluation. RESULTS: BSREM-TOF reconstructions showed the best results in all categories, independent of different body compartments. In all categories, BSREM non-TOF reconstructions were significantly better than OSEM non-TOF reconstructions (P<0.001). In almost all categories, BSREM non-TOF reconstruction was comparable to or better than the OSEM-TOF algorithm (P<0.001 for general image quality, image sharpness, noise, and P=1.0 for artifact). Only in lesion detectability was OSEM-TOF significantly better than BSREM non-TOF (P<0.001). Both BSREM-TOF and BSREM non-TOF showed a decreasing SUVmax with increasing β values (P<0.001) and TOF reconstructions showed a significantly higher SUVmax than non-TOF reconstructions (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: The BSREM reconstruction algorithm showed a relevant improvement compared with OSEM reconstruction in PET/CT studies in all evaluated categories. BSREM might be used in clinical routine in conjunction with TOF to achieve better/higher image quality and lesion detectability or in PET/CT-systems without TOF-capability for enhancement of overall image quality as well.
Authors: Chao Song; Yongyi Yang; Albert Juan Ramon; Miles N Wernick; P Hendrik Pretorius; Karen L Johnson; Piotr J Slomka; Michael A King Journal: J Nucl Cardiol Date: 2018-07-30 Impact factor: 5.952
Authors: Youngho Seo; Mohammad Mehdi Khalighi; Kristen A Wangerin; Timothy W Deller; Yung-Hua Wang; Salma Jivan; Maureen P Kohi; Rahul Aggarwal; Robert R Flavell; Spencer C Behr; Michael J Evans Journal: Mol Imaging Biol Date: 2020-02 Impact factor: 3.488
Authors: Edwin E G W Ter Voert; Urs J Muehlematter; Gaspar Delso; Daniele A Pizzuto; Julian Müller; Hannes W Nagel; Irene A Burger Journal: EJNMMI Res Date: 2018-07-27 Impact factor: 3.138
Authors: Michael Messerli; Paul Stolzmann; Michèle Egger-Sigg; Josephine Trinckauf; Stefano D'Aguanno; Irene A Burger; Gustav K von Schulthess; Philipp A Kaufmann; Martin W Huellner Journal: EJNMMI Phys Date: 2018-09-26