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 language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 1121-1127 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Journal of Nuclear Medicine |
Volume | 23 |
Issue number | 12 |
State | Published - 1982 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Radiology Nuclear Medicine and imaging