PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Ahmadzadehfar, Hojjat AU - Sabet, Amir AU - Biermann, Kim AU - Muckle, Marianne AU - Brockmann, Holger AU - Kuhl, Christiane AU - Wilhelm, Kai AU - Biersack, Hans-Jürgen AU - Ezziddin, Samer TI - The Significance of <sup>99m</sup>Tc-MAA SPECT/CT Liver Perfusion Imaging in Treatment Planning for <sup>90</sup>Y-Microsphere Selective Internal Radiation Treatment AID - 10.2967/jnumed.109.074559 DP - 2010 Aug 01 TA - Journal of Nuclear Medicine PG - 1206--1212 VI - 51 IP - 8 4099 - http://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/51/8/1206.short 4100 - http://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/51/8/1206.full SO - J Nucl Med2010 Aug 01; 51 AB - Selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT), a catheter-based liver-directed modality for treating primary and metastatic liver cancer, requires appropriate planning to maximize its therapeutic response and minimize its side effects. 99mTc-macroaggregated albumin (MAA) scanning should precede the therapy to detect any extrahepatic shunting to the lung or gastrointestinal tract. Our aim was to compare the ability of SPECT/CT with that of planar imaging and SPECT in the detection and localization of extrahepatic 99mTc-MAA accumulation and to evaluate the impact of SPECT/CT on SIRT treatment planning and its added value to angiography in this setting. Methods: Ninety diagnostic hepatic angiograms with 99mTc-MAA were obtained for 76 patients with different types of cancer. All images were reviewed retrospectively for extrahepatic MAA deposition in the following order: planar, non–attenuation-corrected SPECT, and SPECT/CT. Review of angiograms and follow-up of patients with abdominal shunting served as reference standards. Results: Extrahepatic accumulation was detected by planar imaging, SPECT, and SPECT/CT in 12%, 17%, and 42% of examinations, respectively. The sensitivity for detecting extrahepatic shunting with planar imaging, SPECT, and SPECT/CT was 32%, 41%, and 100%, respectively; specificity was 98%, 98%, and 93%, respectively. The respective positive predictive values were 92%, 93%, and 89%, and the respective negative predictive values were 71%, 73%, and 100%. The therapy plan was changed according to the results of planar imaging, SPECT, and SPECT/CT in 7.8%, 8.9%, and 29% of patients, respectively. Conclusion: In pre-SIRT planning, 99mTc-MAA SPECT/CT is valuable for identifying extrahepatic visceral sites at risk for postradioembolization complications.