SPECT/CT

TLDR

SPECT/CT has attracted interest as a PET/CT analogue, offering direct anatomic‑functional correlation and attenuation correction that improves localization of scintigraphic findings. This review aims to highlight recent technical developments in integrated SPECT/CT systems and summarize current literature on their clinical applications and future directions. The authors review recent technical developments and synthesize evidence on cardiac, neurologic, and oncologic applications of SPECT/CT. Pilot studies indicate that SPECT/CT improves specificity, reduces indeterminate findings, and outperforms planar imaging or SPECT in bone, somatostatin receptor, parathyroid, and adrenal scintigraphy, while also increasing sentinel node detection rates.

Abstract

In view of the commercial success of integrated PET/CT scanners, there is an increasing interest in comparable SPECT/CT systems. SPECT in combination with CT enables a direct correlation of anatomic information and functional information, resulting in better localization and definition of scintigraphic findings. Besides anatomic referencing, the added value of CT coregistration is based on the attenuation correction capabilities of CT. The number of clinical studies is limited, but pilot studies have indicated a higher specificity and a significant reduction in indeterminate findings. The superiority of SPECT/CT over planar imaging or SPECT has been demonstrated in bone scintigraphy, somatostatin receptor scintigraphy, parathyroid scintigraphy, and adrenal gland scintigraphy. Also, rates of detection of sentinel nodes by biopsy can be increased with SPECT/CT. This review highlights recent technical developments in integrated SPECT/CT systems and summarizes the current literature on potential clinical uses and future directions for SPECT/CT in cardiac, neurologic, and oncologic applications.