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Optimum Processing Protocols for Volume Determination of the Liver and Spleen from SPECT Imaging with Technetium-99m Sulfur Colloid

Divison of Nuclear Medicine and Biophysics, Department of Radiological Sciences, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California

Correspondence: For reprints contact: Randall A. Hawkins, MD, PhD, Div. of Nuclear Medicine and Biophysics, Dept. of Radiological Sciences, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90024.

ABSTRACT

A study of the effects of processing parameters on the determination of liver and spleen volume from SPECT data was performed. A method for volume determination using a threshold algorithm was calibrated against phantoms and applied to 60 patient studies. Good reproducibility was found using different projections and computing the volume on separate days. Variations of the measured volumes with the threshold value, reconstruction filter cutoff frequency and attenuation correction were investigated. Reconstruction parameters producing best image quality were also determined. A threshold of 25% of the maximum value in the organ was determined from phantom studies. Changes of 1% around this value yielded changes of 2–3% in the computed volume. No significant change was noted as cutoff frequencies varied between 0.4 and 0.85 of Nyquist(0.031 to 0.066 cycles/cm)for a third order Butterworth filter. Attenuation correction produced a decrease of 9% and 6% in liver and spleen measured volume respectively. Best image quality was obtained with 0.4 Nyquist (0.031 cycles/cm)cutoff frequency for third order Butterworth filter and attenuation correction. It is concluded that optimal parameters must be determined for any processing protocol, and must then be adhered to in future applications to insure clinical accuracy, especially those parameters demonstrating the most quantitative and qualitative sensitivity.

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