Supplemental minimal ‐activity PET/CT to validate ambiguous findings with less than 1 mSv: Proof of concept

SummaryShort ‐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/C T. 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 compensate d 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 wer e avoided.
Source: Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Oncology - Category: Radiology Authors: Tags: Medical Imaging —Technical Article Source Type: research