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Time efficient 124I-PET volumetry in benign thyroid disorders by automatic isocontour procedures: mathematic adjustment using manual contoured measurements in low-dose CT

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Abstract

Background

Benign thyroid diseases are widely common in western societies. However, the volumetry of the thyroid gland, especially when enlarged or abnormally formed, proves to be a challenge in clinical routine. The aim of this study was to develop a simple and rapid threshold-based isocontour extraction method for thyroid volumetry from 124I-PET/CT data in patients scheduled for radioactive iodine therapy.

Methods

PET/CT data from 45 patients were analysed 30 h after 1 MBq 124I administration. Anatomical reference volume was calculated using manually contoured data from low-dose CT images of the neck (MC). In addition, we applied an automatic isocontour extraction method (IC0.2/1.0), with two different threshold values (0.2 and 1.0 kBq/ml), for volumetry of the PET data-set. IC0.2/1.0 shape data that showed significant variation from MC data were excluded. Subsequently, a mathematical correlation using a model of linear regression with multiple variables and step-wise elimination (mIC0.2/1.0), between IC0.2/1.0 and MC, was established.

Results

Data from 41 patients (IC0.2), and 32 patients (IC1.0) were analysed. The mathematically calculated volume, mIC, showed a median deviation from the reference (MC), of ±9 % (1–54 %) for mIC0.2 and of ±8.2 % (1–50 %) for mIC1.0

Conclusion

Contour extraction with both, mIC1.0 and mIC0.2 gave rapid and reliable results. However, mIC0.2 can be applied to significantly more patients (>90 %) and is, therefore, deemed to be more suitable for clinical routine, keeping in mind the potential advantages of using 124I-PET/CT for the preparation of patients scheduled for radioactive iodine therapy.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Mr. Dominik Driesch for statistical work, and careful examination of the data presented in this publication. Furthermore we would like to thank ASK Scientific for providing services in translation and reviewing the manuscript carefully.

Conflict of interest

The authors state that they have no conflict of interests. This research was funded exclusively from the regular University Hospital Jena budget. No other potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clinic of Nuclear Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Bachstrasse. 18, 07740, Jena, Germany

    Martin Freesmeyer, Christian Kühnel & Julian G. Westphal

  2. Ernst-Abbe-Fachhochschule Jena, University of Applied Sciences, Jena, Germany

    Christian Kühnel

Authors
  1. Martin Freesmeyer
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  2. Christian Kühnel
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  3. Julian G. Westphal
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Correspondence to Martin Freesmeyer.

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Freesmeyer, M., Kühnel, C. & Westphal, J.G. Time efficient 124I-PET volumetry in benign thyroid disorders by automatic isocontour procedures: mathematic adjustment using manual contoured measurements in low-dose CT. Ann Nucl Med 29, 8–14 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12149-014-0903-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12149-014-0903-0

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