Effect of Bayesian penalized likelihood reconstruction on [13N]-NH3 rest perfusion quantification

Journal article

Objectives

Myocardial blood flow (MBF) imaging is used in patients with suspected cardiac sarcoidosis, and also in stress/rest studies. The accuracy of MBF is dependent on imaging parameters such as new reconstruction methodologies. In this work, we aim to assess the impact of a novel PET reconstruction algorithm (Bayesian penalized likelihood – BPL) on the values determined from the calculation of [13N]-NH3 MBF values.

Methods

Data from 21 patients undergoing rest MBF evaluation [13N]-NH3 as part of sarcoidosis imaging were retrospectively analyzed. Each scan was reconstructed with a range of BPL coefficients (1-500), and standard clinical FBP and OSEM reconstructions. MBF values were calculated via an automated software routine for all datasets.

Results

Reconstruction of [13N]-NH3 dynamic data using the BPL, OSEM, or FBP reconstruction showed no quantitative differences for the calculation of territorial or global MBF (p=0.97). Image noise was lower using OSEM or BPL reconstructions than FBP and noise from BPL reached levels seen in OSEM images between B=300 and B=400. Intra-subject differences between all reconstructions over all patients over all cardiac territories showed a maximum coefficient of variation of 9.74%.

Conclusion

Quantitation of MBF via kinetic modeling of cardiac rest MBF by [13N]-NH3 is minimally affected by the use of a BPL reconstruction technique with BPL images presenting with less noise.

Authors: O’ Doherty, J; McGowan, D; Abreu, C; Barrington, S

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Springer
• Journal: Journal of Nuclear Cardiology
• Volume: 24
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 282–290
• Publication date: 2016-07-01
• Acceptance date: 2016-05-05
• DOI: 10.1007/s12350-016-0554-8
• ISSN: 1532-6551