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Lookup NU author(s): JJ Wyatt, Elizabeth Howell, Dr Maelene Lohezic, Dr Hazel McCallum, Dr Ross Maxwell
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© 2021 Institute of Physics and Engineering in MedicinePositron emission tomography-magnetic resonance (PET-MR) scanners could improve radiotherapy planning through combining PET and MR functional imaging. This depends on acquiring high quality and quantitatively accurate images in the radiotherapy position. This study evaluated PET-MR image quality using a flat couch and coil bridge for pelvic radiotherapy. MR and PET image quality phantoms were imaged in three setups: phantom on the PET-MR couch with anterior coil on top (diagnostic), phantom on a flat couch with coil on top (couch), and phantom on the flat couch with coil on a coil bridge (radiotherapy). PET images were also acquired in each setup without the anterior coil. PET attenuation correction of the flat couch and coil bridge were generated using kilovoltage computed tomography (CT) images and of the anterior coil using megavoltage CT images. MR image quality was substantially affected, with MR signal to noise ratio (SNR) relative to the diagnostic setup of 89% ± 2% (mean ± standard error of the mean, couch) and 54% ± 1% (radiotherapy), likely due to the increased distance between the patient and receive coils. The reduction impacted the low-contrast detectability score: 23 ± 1 (diagnostic), 19.7 ± 0.3 (couch) and 15 ± 1 (radiotherapy). All other MR metrics agreed within one standard error. PET quantitative accuracy was also affected, with measured activity with anterior coil being different to diagnostic without anterior coil by −16.7% ± 0.2% (couch) and −17.7 ± 0.1% (radiotherapy), without attenuation correction modification. Including the couch and coil bridge attenuation correction reduced this difference to −7.5% ± 0.1%, and including the anterior coil reduced this to −2.7% ± 0.1%. This was better than the diagnostic setup with anterior coil (difference −8.3% ± 0.2%). This translated into greater PET SNR performance for the fully corrected radiotherapy setup compared to diagnostic with coil. However contrast recovery was unchanged by the modified attenuation correction, with the diagnostic setup remaining ∼2% better. Quantitative PET in the radiotherapy setup is possible if appropriate attenuation correction is used. Pelvic radiotherapy PET-MR imaging protocols will need to consider the impact on PET-MR image quality.
Author(s): Wyatt JJ, Howell E, Lohezic M, McCallum HM, Maxwell RJ
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Physics in Medicine and Biology
Year: 2021
Volume: 66
Issue: 3
Print publication date: 07/02/2021
Online publication date: 28/01/2021
Acceptance date: 26/11/2020
Date deposited: 12/03/2021
ISSN (print): 0031-9155
ISSN (electronic): 1361-6560
Publisher: IOP Publishing Ltd
URL: https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6560/abce1c
DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/abce1c
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