RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Cardiac Pacemakers and Central Venous Lines Can Induce Focal Artifacts on CT-Corrected PET Images
JF Journal of Nuclear Medicine
JO J Nucl Med
FD Society of Nuclear Medicine
SP 290
OP 293
VO 45
IS 2
A1 Benjamin S. Halpern
A1 Magnus Dahlbom
A1 Christian Waldherr
A1 Cecelia S. Yap
A1 Christiaan Schiepers
A1 Daniel H. Silverman
A1 Osman Ratib
A1 Johannes Czernin
YR 2004
UL http://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/45/2/290.abstract
AB PET/CT imaging can be associated with focal artifactual 18F-FDG uptake introduced by metallic implants or contrast agents. It is unknown whether cardiac pacemakers or permanent central venous catheters can also result in such artifacts. Methods: Twenty-seven patients with permanent central venous lines (13 men and 14 women; mean age ± SD, 53.8 ± 16.2 y) and 9 patients with pacemakers (7 men and 2 women; mean age ± SD, 74.8 ± 5.1 y) who were referred for a variety of oncologic indications were studied with lutetium-oxyorthosilicate–based dual-slice PET/CT after injection of 7.77 MBq/kg of 18F-FDG. CT-corrected and -uncorrected PET images were reviewed, and 18F-FDG uptake was graded as absent, mild, moderate, or intense. Results: CT-corrected PET images revealed focally increased uptake of moderate intensity in all patients with cardiac pacemakers and focally increased uptake of mild intensity in 8 of 27 patients (29.6%) with central venous lines. Conclusion: Cardiac pacemakers and reservoirs of central venous lines can induce artifactual 18F-FDG on CT-corrected PET images. Thus, in patients with permanent central lines or pacemakers, both corrected and uncorrected PET images need to be reviewed to avoid false-positive PET findings.