Attenuation compensation in single-photon emission tomography: A comparative evaluation

M. H. Lewis, J. T. Willerson, S. E. Lewis, F. J. Bonte, R. W. Parkey, E. M. Stokely

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

22 Scopus citations

Abstract

Attenuation of photons in single-photon emission tomography (SPECT) makes three-dimensional reconstruction of unknown radioactivity distributions a mathematically intractable problem. Approaches to approximate SPECT reconstruction range from ignoring the effects of photon attenuation to incorporating assumed attenuation coefficients into an iterative reconstruction procedure. We have developed a computer-based simulation method to assess the relative effectiveness of attenuation compensation procedures. The method was used to study four procedures for myocardial SPECT using an infarct-avid radiopharmaceutical, Tc-99m stannous pyrophosphate. Reconstructions were evaluated by two criteria: overall (sum-of-squares) accuracy, and accuracy of lesion sizing. For moderate-to high-contrast studies there were no significant differences among the reconstructions by either evaluation criterion; for low contrast ratios the iterative method produced lower sum-of-squares error. We conclude that the additional expense of the iterative method is not justified under the conditions of this study. The approach used here is a convenient tool for evaluating specific SPECT reconstruction alternatives.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1121-1127
Number of pages7
JournalJournal of Nuclear Medicine
Volume23
Issue number12
StatePublished - 1982

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Radiology Nuclear Medicine and imaging

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Attenuation compensation in single-photon emission tomography: A comparative evaluation'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this