Diagnostic accuracy of cadmium-zinc-telluride-based myocardial perfusion SPECT: impact of attenuation correction using a co-registered external computed tomography

Abstract

Introduction: Computed tomography (CT)-based attenuation correction (AC) improves the accuracy of standard myocardial perfusion SPECT. Most dedicated cadmium-zinc-telluride (CZT) SPECT cameras are not equipped with an integrated CT component. We aimed to determine the impact of AC on diagnostic performance of CZT SPECT using co-registration with an external low-dose CT.

Methods: Sixty patients underwent CZT SPECT (GE Discovery 530c) with (99m)Tc-sestamibi at rest and following regadenoson stress. Using commercial software, SPECT images were co-registered with a low-dose CT acquired on a separate system (GE Discovery 670NMCT). Attenuation corrected and non-corrected (NC) images were reconstructed using an iterative algorithm. Accuracy was measured in 44 patients who had undergone invasive angiography within 6 months. Normalcy was compared in the remaining 16 patients who had a low pre-test likelihood (<5%) of coronary artery disease (CAD).

Results: Summed stress and rest scores were significantly lower in AC images (9 ± 8 vs. 13 ± 9 and 6 ± 7 vs. 10 ± 9, P = 0.01), while summed difference score did not differ. According to angiography, 38 patients had significant CAD in 71 vascular territories. Attenuation correction improved accuracy globally (P = 0.03) and in RCA territory (P = 0.008). Specificity improved both globally (100 vs. 40%, P < 0.05) and in each individual territory (LAD: 63 vs. 36%, LCX: 70 vs. 33%, RCA: 81 vs. 19%, P < 0.01). Normalcy was 100% for AC and 62.5% for NC images (P < 0.05).

Conclusion: Attenuation correction with a co-registered external CT is feasible using CZT cameras and improves diagnostic accuracy mostly by improving specificity over uncorrected images.

Keywords: Attenuation correction; CZT SPECT; Coronary artery disease; Myocardial perfusion imaging.