A COMPARATIVE-STUDY OF SCATTER CORRECTION METHODS FOR SCINTIGRAPHIC IMAGES

Phantom studies have demonstrated that factor analysis of medical imag e sequences using target apex-seeking (FAMIS-TAS) applied to spectral scintigraphic image sequences is an efficient adaptive scatter correct ion method. We assessed the improvement in quality of clinical images using FAMIS-TAS as compared with two other scatter correction techniqu es: conventional 20% photopeak window (PW) and scatter window subtract ion (SWS). Thirty normal technetium-99m hydroxymethylene diphosphonate bone scans were processed. Bone to soft tissue contrasts and signal-t o-noise and contrast-to-noise ratios were measured. The overall image quality was evaluated using an observer testing questionnaire submitte d to four physicians. Quantitative parameters showed that FAMIS-TAS im ages displayed the best bone to soft tissue contrasts and contrast-to- noise ratios, but the lowest signal-to-noise ratios. PW images present ed the lowest contrasts and contrast-to-noise ratios, and the highest signal-to-noise ratios. SWS gave intermediate results. According to th e observer testing results, PW images showed the lowest bone to soft t issue contrasts and the highest signal-to-noise ratios. FAMIS-TAS imag es showed the lowest signal-to-noise ratios. The images processed by t he three methods displayed the same anatomical information.