Towards quantitative PET/MRI: a review of MR-based attenuation correction techniques
Introduction Positron emission tomography (PET) is a fully quantitative technology for imaging metabolic pathways and dynamic processes in vivo. Attenuation correction of raw PET data is a prerequisite for quantification and is typically based on separate transmission measurements. In PET/CT attenuation correction, however, is performed routinely based on the available CT transmission data. Objective Recently, combined PET/magnetic resonance (MR) has been proposed as a viable alternative to PET/CT. Current concepts of PET/MRI do not include CT-like transmission sources and, therefore, alternative methods of PET attenuation correction must be found. This article reviews existing approaches to MR-based attenuation correction (MR-AC). Most groups have proposed MR-AC algorithms for brain PET studies and more recently also for torso PET/MR imaging. Most MR-AC strategies require the use of complementary MR and transmission images, or morphology templates generated from transmission images. We review and discuss these algorithms and point out challenges for using MR-AC in clinical routine. Discussion MR-AC is work-in-progress with potentially promising results from a template-based approach applicable to both brain and torso imaging. While efforts are ongoing in making clinically viable MR-AC fully automatic, further studies are required to realize the potential benefits of MR-based motion compensation and partial volume correction of the PET data.
Author(s): | Hofmann, M. and Pichler, B. and Schölkopf, B. and Beyer, T. |
Journal: | European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging |
Volume: | 36 |
Number (issue): | Supplement 1 |
Pages: | 93-104 |
Year: | 2009 |
Month: | March |
Day: | 0 |
Bibtex Type: | Article (article) |
DOI: | 10.1007/s00259-008-1007-7 |
Digital: | 0 |
Electronic Archiving: | grant_archive |
Language: | en |
Organization: | Max-Planck-Gesellschaft |
School: | Biologische Kybernetik |
Links: |
BibTex
@article{5674, title = {Towards quantitative PET/MRI: a review of MR-based attenuation correction techniques}, journal = {European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging}, abstract = {Introduction Positron emission tomography (PET) is a fully quantitative technology for imaging metabolic pathways and dynamic processes in vivo. Attenuation correction of raw PET data is a prerequisite for quantification and is typically based on separate transmission measurements. In PET/CT attenuation correction, however, is performed routinely based on the available CT transmission data. Objective Recently, combined PET/magnetic resonance (MR) has been proposed as a viable alternative to PET/CT. Current concepts of PET/MRI do not include CT-like transmission sources and, therefore, alternative methods of PET attenuation correction must be found. This article reviews existing approaches to MR-based attenuation correction (MR-AC). Most groups have proposed MR-AC algorithms for brain PET studies and more recently also for torso PET/MR imaging. Most MR-AC strategies require the use of complementary MR and transmission images, or morphology templates generated from transmission images. We review and discuss these algorithms and point out challenges for using MR-AC in clinical routine. Discussion MR-AC is work-in-progress with potentially promising results from a template-based approach applicable to both brain and torso imaging. While efforts are ongoing in making clinically viable MR-AC fully automatic, further studies are required to realize the potential benefits of MR-based motion compensation and partial volume correction of the PET data.}, volume = {36}, number = {Supplement 1}, pages = {93-104}, organization = {Max-Planck-Gesellschaft}, school = {Biologische Kybernetik}, month = mar, year = {2009}, slug = {5674}, author = {Hofmann, M. and Pichler, B. and Sch{\"o}lkopf, B. and Beyer, T.}, month_numeric = {3} }