A study of partial volume effect on SPECT imaging using myocardial phantom. With HCM (ASH) model myocardial phantom

In order to evaluate simultaneously both myocardial perfusion and regional wall motion using ECG-gated myocardial SPECT imaging, correction for the partial volume effect (PVE) should be performed. For the quantitative analysis of myocardial SPECT imaging in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), we formed a new phantom simulating HCM with various septal wall thicknesses and estimated PVE using the recovery coefficient (RC). The value of RC in all phantoms increased with increasing thickness of the septal wall reaching a plateau at 25 mm for the cylindrical phantom and 25 mm for the Ep-phantom. Compared with the RC value, the PMMA-phantom had little influence on PVE. Therefore, our results suggested that the count in the septal wall could be underestimated if PVE was corrected by the value obtained for the cylindrical phantom. In conclusion, our new phantom simulating HCM was useful in assessing PVE in the hypertrophic septal wall. (author)