Usefulness of the automatic quantitative estimation tool for cerebral blood flow: clinical assessment of the application software tool AQCEL

• Published in: Annals of nuclear medicine 2011-01, Vol.25 (1), p.13-19
• Main Authors: Momose, Mitsuhiro, Takaki, Akihiro, Matsushita, Tsuyoshi, Yanagisawa, Shin, Yano, Kesato, Miyasaka, Tadashi, Ogura, Yuka, Kadoya, Masumi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Automation; Cerebrovascular Circulation; Female; Humans; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted - methods; Imaging; Imaging, Three-Dimensional; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Nuclear Medicine; Original Article; Radiology; Software; Stereotaxic Techniques; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
• ISSN: 0914-7187; 1864-6433
• DOI: 10.1007/s12149-010-0422-6

Objective AQCEL enables automatic reconstruction of single-photon emission computed tomogram (SPECT) without image degradation and quantitative analysis of cerebral blood flow (CBF) after the input of simple parameters. We ascertained the usefulness and quality of images obtained by the application software AQCEL in clinical practice. Methods Twelve patients underwent brain perfusion SPECT using technetium-99m ethyl cysteinate dimer at rest and after acetazolamide (ACZ) loading. Images reconstructed using AQCEL were compared with those reconstructed using conventional filtered back projection (FBP) method for qualitative estimation. Two experienced nuclear medicine physicians interpreted the image quality using the following visual scores: 0, same; 1, slightly superior; 2, superior. For quantitative estimation, the mean CBF values of the normal hemisphere of the 12 patients using ACZ calculated by the AQCEL method were compared with those calculated by the conventional method. The CBF values of the 24 regions of the 3-dimensional stereotaxic region of interest template (3DSRT) calculated by the AQCEL method at rest and after ACZ loading were compared to those calculated by the conventional method. Results No significant qualitative difference was observed between the AQCEL and conventional FBP methods in the rest study. The average score by the AQCEL method was 0.25 ± 0.45 and that by the conventional method was 0.17 ± 0.39 ( P  = 0.34). There was a significant qualitative difference between the AQCEL and conventional methods in the ACZ loading study. The average score for AQCEL was 0.83 ± 0.58 and that for the conventional method was 0.08 ± 0.29 ( P  = 0.003). During quantitative estimation using ACZ, the mean CBF values of 12 patients calculated by the AQCEL method were 3–8% higher than those calculated by the conventional method. The square of the correlation coefficient between these methods was 0.995. While comparing the 24 3DSRT regions of 12 patients, the squares of the correlation coefficient between AQCEL and conventional methods were 0.973 and 0.986 for the normal and affected sides at rest, respectively, and 0.977 and 0.984 for the normal and affected sides after ACZ loading, respectively. Conclusions The quality of images reconstructed using the application software AQCEL were superior to that obtained using conventional method after ACZ loading, and high correlations were shown in quantity at rest and after ACZ loading. This software can be ap