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Characterization of attenuation and respiratory motion artifacts and their influence on SPECT MP image evaluation using a dynamic phantom assembly with variable cardiac defects

  • Original Article
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Journal of Nuclear Cardiology Aims and scope

Abstract

Background

A phantom assembly that simulates the respiratory motion of the heart was used to investigate artifacts and their impact on defect detection.

Methods

SPECT/CT images were acquired for phantoms with and without small and large cardiac defects during normal and deep breathing, and also at four static respiratory phases. Acquisitions were reconstructed with and without AC, and with misalignment of transmission and emission scans. A quantitative analysis was performed to assess artifacts. Two physicians reported on defect presence or absence and their results were evaluated.

Results

All large defects were correctly reported. Attenuation reduced uptake in the basal LV walls, increasing FN physicians’ reports for small defects. Respiratory motion reduced uptake mainly in the anterior and inferior walls increasing FP and FN reports on images without and with small defects, respectively. Artifacts due to misalignment between CT and SPECT scans in normal breathing phantoms did not influence the physicians’ reports.

Conclusions

Attenuation and respiratory motion correction should be applied to reduce artifacts before reporting on small defects in deep breathing conditions. Artifacts due to misalignment between CT and SPECT scans do not affect defect detection in normal breathing when the LV is co-registered in SPECT and CT images prior to AC.

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Abbreviations

SPECT:

Single-photon emission computed tomography

CT:

Computed tomography

AC:

Attenuation correction

MPI:

Myocardial perfusion imaging

PLC:

Programmable logic controller

RM:

Respiratory motion

LV:

Left ventricle

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Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge the staff of the Nuclear Medicine Departments of the Nicosia and Limassol General Hospitals (A. Mormoris, Ch. Christodoulou, L. Lambrou, Ch. Charalambous, C. Ioannou, N. Fasouliotis, A. Panayi, K. Hadjitofi, D. Demetriou) for helping in acquisitions. The Project ΥΓΕΙΑ/ΔΥΓΕΙΑ/0311(ΒΙΕ)/27, with Host Organization the Frederick Research Center and Partner Organizations the Cyprus Ministry of Health and the King’s College London, was co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund and the Republic of Cyprus through the Research Promotion Foundation.

Disclosure

Authors declared that they have no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Frederick Research Center, Nicosia, Cyprus

    Isabelle Chrysanthou-Baustert PhD, Antonis Lontos PhD, Antonis Antoniou PhD & Yiannis Parpottas PhD

  2. Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King’s College London, London, UK

    Irene Polycarpou PhD, Lefteris Livieratos PhD & Paul K. Marsden PhD

  3. Department of Health Sciences, European University Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus

    Irene Polycarpou PhD

  4. Department of Nuclear Medicine, Limassol General Hospital, Limassol, Cyprus

    Ourania Demetriadou MD

  5. Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK

    Lefteris Livieratos PhD

  6. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Frederick University, Nicosia, Cyprus

    Antonis Lontos PhD & Antonis Antoniou PhD

  7. Department of Medical Physics, Nicosia General Hospital, Nicosia, Cyprus

    Stelios Christofides PhD, Charalambos Yiannakkaras MSc & Demetris Kaolis MSc

  8. Department of Nuclear Medicine, Nicosia General Hospital, Nicosia, Cyprus

    Christoforos Panagidis MD

  9. General Department (Physics-Mathematics), Frederick University, Nicosia, Cyprus

    Yiannis Parpottas PhD

Authors
  1. Isabelle Chrysanthou-Baustert PhD
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  2. Irene Polycarpou PhD
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  3. Ourania Demetriadou MD
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  4. Lefteris Livieratos PhD
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  5. Antonis Lontos PhD
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  6. Antonis Antoniou PhD
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  7. Stelios Christofides PhD
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  8. Charalambos Yiannakkaras MSc
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  9. Demetris Kaolis MSc
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  10. Christoforos Panagidis MD
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  11. Paul K. Marsden PhD
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  12. Yiannis Parpottas PhD
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Isabelle Chrysanthou-Baustert PhD or Yiannis Parpottas PhD.

Additional information

See related editorial, doi:10.1007/s12350-016-0428-0.

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Cite this article

Chrysanthou-Baustert, I., Polycarpou, I., Demetriadou, O. et al. Characterization of attenuation and respiratory motion artifacts and their influence on SPECT MP image evaluation using a dynamic phantom assembly with variable cardiac defects. J. Nucl. Cardiol. 24, 698–707 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12350-015-0378-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12350-015-0378-y

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