Abstract
Purpose: Soft tissue attenuation and scattering are major methodological limitations of myocardial perfusion SPECT. To overcome these limitations, algorithms for attenuation, scatter correction and resolution recovery (ASCRR) is being developed, while quantitative myocardial SPECT has also become available. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of an ASCRR-corrected quantitative myocardial SPECT method for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD). Materials and Methods: Seventy-five patients (M:F=51:24, $61.0{\pm}8.9$ years old) suspected of CAD who underwent coronary angiography (CAG) within $7{\pm}12$ days of SPECT(Group-I) and 20 subjects (M:F=10:10, age $40.6{\pm}9.4$) with a low likelihood of coronary artery disease (Group-II) were enrolled. Tl-201 rest/ dipyridamole-stress Tc-99m-MIBI gated myocardial SPECT was performed. ASCRR correction was peformed using a Gd-153 line source and automatic software (Vantage-Pro; ADAC Labs, USA). Using a 20-segment model, segmental perfusion was automatically quantified on both the ASCRR-corrected and uncorrected images using an automatic quantifying software (AutoQUANT; ADAC Labs.). Using these quantified values, CAD was diagnosed in each of the 3 coronary arterial territories. The diagnostic performance of ASCRR-corrected SPECT was compared with that of non-corrected SPECT. Results: Among the 75 patients of Group-I, 9 patients had normal CAG while the remaining 66 patients had 155 arterial lesions; 61 left anterior descending (LAD), 48 left circumflex (LCX) and 46 right coronary (RCA) arterial lesions. For the LAD and LCX lesions, there was no significant difference in diagnostic performance. In Group-II patients, the overall normalcy rate improved but this improvement was not statistically significant (p=0.07). However, for RCA lesions, specificity improved significantly but sensitivity worsened significantly with ASCRR correction (both p<0.05). Overall accuracy was the same. Conclusion: The ASCRR correction did not improve diagnostic performance significantly although the diagnostic specificity for RCA lesions improved on quantitative myocardial SPECT. The clinical application of the ASC-RR correction requires more discretion regarding cost and efficacy.
목적: 심근 SPECT 영상의 재구성 과정에 감쇠보정, 산란보정 및 해상도복원 시스템(ASCRR)이 적용되었을 때 관상동맥질환 진단의 진단능 변화를 정량적 심근 SPECT에서 조사하였다. 대상 및 방법: 관상동맥질환이 의심되는 환자 75명과 관상동맥질환 저위험군 20명의 환자에 대하여 휴식기 Tl-201/부하기 Tc-99m-MIBI 게이트 심근 SPECT를 시행한 후, ASCRR을 적용하여 적용 전후의 예민도 및 특이도와 정상검출율의 변화를 구하였다. 결과: ASCRR 적용 후, 전반적인 진단능에는 유의한 변화가 없었다. 혈관 영역 별로는 좌전하행동맥(LAD)이나 좌회선동맥(LCX) 영역의 병변에서는 유의한 차이는 없었고, 우측관상동맥(RCA) 영역의 병변을 진단하는 데 있어서는 ASCRR의 적용 후 특이도는 유의하게 향상되었지만, 이와 더불어 예민도는 유의하게 감소되었다(모두 p<0.05). 정상검출율은 좌전하행동맥(LAD) 영역과 좌회선동맥(LCX) 영역에서는 ASCRR 적용 전후에 유의한 차이가 없었고, 우측관상동맥(RCA) 영역에서만 유의한 증가를 보여, 전반적으로는 통계적으로 유의한 차이가 없었다. 결론: 심근 SPECT에서 감쇠보정 및 산란교정, 그리고 해상도복원시스템의 적용은 관상동맥질환의 진단에 있어서 우측관상동맥(RCA) 영역의 정상검출율 및 특이도는 증가시키지만, 전반적인 진단능은 향상시키지 못한다.