Harmonization Based on Quantitative Analysis of Standardized Uptake Value Variations Across Pet/Ct Scanners: A Multicenter Phantom Study Publisher Pubmed



Monsef A^{1, 2} ; Ay MR^{1, 2} ; Sheikhzadeh P^{1, 3} ; Geramifar P⁴ ; Rahmim A^{5, 6} ; Ghafarian P^{7, 8}
Source: Nuclear Medicine Communications Published:2022

Abstract

Objectives This study aimed to measure standardized uptake value (SUV) variations across different PET/computed tomography (CT) scanners to harmonize quantification across systems. Methods We acquired images using the National Electrical Manufacturers Association International Electrotechnical Commission phantom from three PET/CT scanners operated using routine imaging protocols at each site. The SUVs of lesions were assessed in the presence of reference values by a digital reference object (DRO) and recommendations by the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM/EARL) to measure inter-site variations. For harmonization, Gaussian filters with tuned full width at half maximum (FWHM) values were applied to images to minimize differences in SUVs between reference and images. Inter-site variation of SUVs was evaluated in both pre- and postharmonization situations. Test-retest analysis was also carried out to evaluate repeatability. Results SUVs from different scanners became significantly more consistent, and inter-site differences decreased for SUVmean, SUVmax and SUVpeak from 17.3, 20.7, and 15.5% to 4.8, 4.7, and 2.7%, respectively, by harmonization (P values <0.05 for all). The values for contrast-to-noise ratio in the smallest lesion of the phantom verified preservation of image quality following harmonization (>2.8%). Conclusions Harmonization significantly lowered variations in SUV measurements across different PET/CT scanners, improving reproducibility while preserving image quality. © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.