Cardiac PET Advanced Virtual Workshop (December 7-8, 2024)-Addressing Incidental Findings in the CT Scan in a PET/CT Study

Video Transcription

Video Summary

In this video presentation, the speaker discusses incidental findings on a CT scan in a PET-CT study. The presentation begins with a disclosure of conflicts of interest, which are deemed irrelevant to the topic. The speaker explains that PET image data requires attenuation correction, which can be conducted using a dedicated scanner or a hybrid PET-CT device. Both options are effective and provide various parameters for quantification and analysis. Hybrid PET-CT devices offer advantages such as higher count sensitivity, resolution, signal-to-noise ratio, and lower radiation exposure. The speaker emphasizes the importance of recognizing subclinical coronary disease and the ability of PET-CT to identify coronary calcium. Additionally, CT scans can be used for independent cardiac and vascular studies. The transition from dedicated PET to PET-CT has advantages but also presents challenges like space requirements, cost, and safety issues. The speaker advises on how to handle CT data in a PET-CT study, emphasizing the non-standard nature of the CT scans and the need for further investigations when abnormal findings are identified. Examples of abnormalities mentioned include cardiovascular issues such as calcium, valvular calcification, pericardial effusions, and aortic size abnormalities. The speaker also discusses non-cardiovascular findings such as lung nodules, mediastinal masses, esophageal abnormalities, breast masses, hepatic steatosis, cysts and lymphoma, pleural effusions, and anemia. The speaker concludes by encouraging healthcare professionals to describe and report any abnormal findings in the CT component of a PET-CT study and recommends appropriate follow-up investigations and consultations based on the identified abnormalities. No credits were provided.

Keywords

PET-CT

incidental findings

coronary calcium

attenuation correction

hybrid devices

abnormalities