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BACKGROUND: We assessed and compared image quality obtained with clinical 18F-FDG whole-body oncologic PET protocols used in three different, state-of-the-art digital PET/CT and two conventional PMT-based PET/CT devices. Our goal was to evaluate an improved trade-off between administered activity (patient dose exposure/signal-to-noise ratio) and acquisition time (patient comfort) while preserving diagnostic information achievable with the recently introduced digital detector technology compared to previous analogue PET technology. METHODS: We performed list-mode (LM) PET acquisitions using a NEMA/IEC NU2 phantom, with activity concentrations of 5 kBq/mL and 25 kBq/mL for the background (9.5 L) and sphere inserts, respectively. For each device, reconstructions were obtained varying the image statistics (10, 30, 60, 90, 120, 180, and 300 s from LM data) and the number of iterations (range 1 to 10) in addition to the employed local clinical protocol setup. We measured for each reconstructed dataset: the quantitative cross-calibration, the image noise on the uniform background assessed by the coefficient of variation (COV), and the recovery coefficients (RCs) evaluated in the hot spheres. Additionally, we compared the characteristic time-activity-product (TAP) that is the product of scan time per bed position × mass-activity administered (in min·MBq/kg) across datasets. RESULTS: Good system cross-calibration was obtained for all tested datasets with < 6% deviation from the expected value was observed. For all clinical protocol settings, image noise was compatible with clinical interpretation (COV < 15%). Digital PET showed an improved background signal-to-noise ratio as compared to conventional PMT-based PET. RCs were comparable between digital and PMT-based PET datasets. Compared to PMT-based PET, digital systems provided comparable image quality with lower TAP (from ~ 40% less and up to 70% less). CONCLUSIONS: This study compared the achievable clinical image quality in three state-of-the-art digital PET/CT devices (from different vendors) as well as in two conventional PMT-based PET. Reported results show that a comparable image quality is achievable with a TAP reduction of ~ 40% in digital PET. This could lead to a significant reduction of the administered mass-activity and/or scan time with direct benefits in terms of dose exposure and patient comfort.
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The two components of the body weight (i.e., fat mass and muscle mass) appeared to be of high interest to consider in predicting metabolic health related risks. We aimed to determine cutoff values for fat mass index (FMI) and muscle mass index (MMI), FM/MM, and BMI for metabolic and cardiovascular health. This study was a cross-sectional analysis study conducted in a center of preventive medicine. It included 616 consecutive outpatients: mean age was 56.0±10.0 years (74.6% aged ≥50), and 61.4% were female. Fat and muscle mass were obtained with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry scan analyses. Metabolically unhealthy individuals were defined as people with biological features of dyslipidemia, hyperuricemia, diabetes, and/or hepatitis steatosis. Documented hypertension and/or atherosclerosis of at least one major artery defined individuals with cardiovascular complications. Receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that the cutoff values for MMI, FMI, and FM/MM were respectively 18.8kg/m(2) (sensitivity [Se]=58%; specificity [Sp]=59%), 5.5kg/m(2) (Se=61%; Sp=62%), and 0.31 (Se=62%; Sp=62%) in men; and 14.1kg/m(2) (Se=52%; Sp=54%), 5.5kg/m(2) (Se=65%; Sp=67%), 0.39 (Se=73%; Sp=73%) in women for predicting metabolic health. Values were 19.3kg/m(2) (Se=58%; Sp=59%), 7.0kg/m(2) (Se=61%; Sp=62%) and 0.49 (Se=62%; Sp=62%) in men; and 15.7kg/m(2) (Se=58%; Sp=59%), 6.4kg/m(2) (Se=61%; Sp=62%) and 0.35 (Se=62%; Sp=62%) in women for cardiovascular complications. Whatever the outcomes considered, the Youden indexes for BMI values were systematically below 25 kg/m(2), except for cardiovascular complications in men, where the threshold for the best Se/Sp was 25.7 kg/m(2). These cutoff values for FMI, MMI, and FM/MM could be of practical value for the clinical evaluation of a deficit in MM with or without excess of FM. They complement the classical concept of BMI in a more qualitative manner and extend the analysis of its impact on health outcomes to all BMI categories.
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PURPOSE: We determined the impact of vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) on the size of renal lesions in children after an episode of acute pyelonephritis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 161 children (mean age 2.44 years) with acute pyelonephritis were studied. All had renal lesions on dimercapto-succinic acid scintigraphy done at admission to the hospital. A second dimercapto-succinic acid scan was performed at 3 months. Voiding cystourethrography was done at 6 weeks and VUR was graded I to V. For each renal unit layouts of renal lesions were drawn, and the damage surface was calculated and reported for the total surface of the kidney. RESULTS: Mean size of acute lesions and scars increased with severity of reflux (p <0.0001), with an important overlap of individual values. Mean size of renal scars in the group of renal units with acute lesions was 5.8% +/- 8.5% in patients without VUR, 9.9% +/- 7.3% in those with grade I reflux, 7.7% +/- 11.0% in those with grade II reflux, 17.7% +/- 14.7% in those with grade III reflux and 17.4% +/- 27.7% in those with grade IV reflux (p <0.001). The size of renal lesions decreased significantly with time. The rate of regression of lesions decreased with increasing reflux. When analyzed according to 3 age groups sizes of scars increased significantly with age. CONCLUSIONS: VUR has an impact on the size of renal lesions after an episode of pyelonephritis. Children with a grade III or IV reflux are more likely to have larger renal scars. On the other hand, acute lesions of important size may develop even in the absence of VUR.
