Half-time myocardial perfusion SPECT imaging with attenuation and Monte Carlo-based scatter correction.

PURPOSE: To test the potential of a new reconstruction algorithm with Monte Carlo-based scatter correction in half-time myocardial perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The mathematical four-dimensional NURBS-based Cardiac-Torso phantom and the SIMIND Monte Carlo simulation package were used to simulate full-time and half-time SPECT projection data. The data were reconstructed using the standard ordered subset expectation maximization-based algorithm and the new Monte Carlo-based algorithm. Defect contrast, myocardium versus ventricle contrast and resolution were calculated. In addition to the simulation studies, full-time and half-time SPECT projection data of 30 patients were reconstructed with the standard and the new method. The patient data were qualitatively evaluated by four nuclear medicine experts on a scale from 1 (poor quality) to 5 (high quality). RESULTS: The new reconstruction method with half-time data produced higher contrast and better resolution in the simulations and also achieved higher qualitative scores in the patient study than the standard reconstruction with full-time data. CONCLUSION: Half-time myocardial perfusion imaging using the new reconstruction algorithm with Monte Carlo-based scatter correction produced images with superior quality when compared with full-time imaging with standard reconstruction.