Supplemental minimal‐activity PET/CT to validate ambiguous findings with less than 1 mSv: Proof of concept. Issue 2 (19th February 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Gühne, Falk; Drescher, Robert; Seifert, Philipp; Freesmeyer, Martin
• Is Part Of: Journal of medical imaging and radiation oncology. Volume 65:Issue 2(2021)
• Page Start: 201
• Page End: 207
• Publication Date: 2021-02-19
• Subjects: <1 mSv -- minimal‐activity -- PET/CT -- radiation protection -- segmental protocol; Radiology, Medical -- Periodicals; Radiology, Medical -- Australasia -- Periodicals; 616.0757
• DOI: 10.1111/1754-9485.13164
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1754-9477

Abstract

Summary: Short‐term follow‐up examinations could verify ambiguous findings in PET/CT diagnostics, but are often avoided due to radiation and financial burdens. We demonstrate the feasibility of a focused, minimal‐activity PET protocol as a supplemental examination for uncertain findings after standard PET/CT. After changing conditions, e.g. patient positioning, preparation and bypassing an interval as well as a targeted tracer change, an additional examination with less than 1 mSv of additional radiation exposure was performed. Lowered administered activity of radiopharmaceuticals could be compensated by prolonged acquisition time, which was made possible by the limitation to a single body region. A sufficient visual and quantitative image quality of scans could be achieved. In all cases, the ambiguous finding could be clarified, so further diagnostic procedures or unnecessary interventions were avoided.