RADIONUCLIDE COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY OF THE BODY USING ROUTINE RADIOPHARMACEUTICALS .2. CLINICAL APPLICATIONS

  • 1 January 1979
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 20  (2) , 108-114
Abstract
A whole-body computed tomography system for single-photon emitters was used to investigate the clinical utility of this imaging modality. Its application in brain, lung, liver, kidney, cardiac, bone, and Ga imaging was explored in over 200 patients. Brain images demonstrated better lesion contrast than in standard scintiphotos. Images of the lung and liver showed radionuclide distribution that was not readily apparent in standard scintiphotos. Moderate or strongly positive pyrophosphate myocardial images demonstrate the potential for infarct quantitation. ECG-gated cardiac blood-pool images in cross section, displayed in cine formate, permit evaluation of segmental motion of the free and septal walls of both ventricles. Significant clinical potential for this imaging modality using standard radiopharmaceuticals is suggested, but some increase in system sensitivity may be necessary to realize the full benefit of the technique.