"Flying through" and "flying around" a PET/CT scan: Pilot study and development of 3D integrated 18F-FDG PET/CT for virtual bronchoscopy and colonoscopy.

Abstract

The objective of this pilot project was to devise a new image acquisition and processing technique to produce PET/CT images rendered in 3-dimensional (3D) volume that can then be reviewed in several 3D formats such as virtual bronchoscopy and colonoscopy "fly-throughs" and external "fly-arounds." We tested the new imaging and processing protocol on 24 patients with various malignancies to determine whether it could dependably acquire and reformat standard tomographic 2-dimensional PET/CT images into 3D renderings. This new technique added helpful information to the diagnostic interpretation for 2 of the 24 patients. Further, in the 6 patients undergoing mediastinoscopy, bronchoscopy, or endoscopy, 3D imaging helped in preprocedural planning. In this initial study, we demonstrated both the feasibility of rendering PET/CT images into 3D volumes and the potential clinical utility of this technique for diagnostic lesion characterization and preprocedural planning.