European journal of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging
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Eur. J. Nucl. Med. Mol. Imaging · Apr 2006
Comparative StudyCross-camera comparison of SPECT measurements of a 3-D anthropomorphic basal ganglia phantom.
SPECT examinations of neurotransmitter systems in the brain have to be comparable between centres to generate a comprehensive data pool, e.g. for multicentre studies. Equipment-specific effects on quantitative evaluations and corresponding methods for compensation, however, have been insufficiently examined. Previous studies have shown that quantitative results may vary significantly according to the imaging equipment used, thereby affecting clinical interpretation of the data. The aim of this study was to determine correction factors for common camera/collimator combinations based on standardised measurements of an anthropomorphic 3D basal ganglia phantom to compensate for the effects of different SPECT camera/collimator equipment. The latter may serve as a model for human studies of the dopaminergic system. ⋯ Measurements of a 3D basal ganglia phantom with various imaging devices revealed linear correlations between measured and true striatal/background ratios. Based on these findings, adjustment of quantitative results between different equipment seems possible, provided that acquisition, reconstruction and evaluation are adequately standardised. The use of identical evaluation methods in phantom and patient studies (comparable shape, size and location of the VOIs) might allow transfer of the calculated correction factors from phantom to studies of the dopaminergic system in patients.
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Eur. J. Nucl. Med. Mol. Imaging · Apr 2006
Clinical TrialPrognostic relevance of FDG PET in patients with neurofibromatosis type-1 and malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumours.
In patients with neurofibromatosis type-1 (NF1) and malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumours (MPNSTs), survival rates are low and time to death is often less than 2 years. However, there are patients with a more favourable prognosis who develop metastases rather late or not at all. Since histopathology and tumour grading are not well correlated with prognosis, we aimed to evaluate the potential of (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET) for prediction of patient outcome in MPNST. ⋯ Tumour SUV obtained by FDG PET was a significant parameter for prediction of survival in NF1 patients with MPNSTs while histopathological tumour grading did not predict outcome.