A new SPECT/CT reconstruction algorithm: reliability and accuracy in clinical routine for non-oncologic bone diseases

BACKGROUND: xSPECT Bone® (xB) is a new reconstruction algorithm developed by Siemens® in bone hybrid imaging (SPECT/CT). A CT-based tissue segmentation is incorporated into SPECT reconstruction to provide SPECT images with bone anatomy appearance. The objectives of this study were to assess xB/CT reconstruction diagnostic reliability and accuracy in comparison with Flash 3D® (F3D)/CT in clinical routine. Two hundred thirteen consecutive patients referred to the Brest Nuclear Medicine Department for non-oncological bone diseases were evaluated retrospectively. Two hundred seven SPECT/CT were included. All SPECT/CT were independently interpreted by two nuclear medicine physicians (a junior and a senior expert) with xB/CT then with F3D/CT three months later. Inter-observer agreement (IOA) and diagnostic confidence were determined using McNemar test, and unweighted Kappa coefficient. The study objectives were then re-assessed for validation through > 18 months of clinical and paraclinical follow-up. RESULTS: No statistically significant differences between IOA (xB) and IOA F3D were found (p = 0.532). Agreement for xB after categorical classification of the diagnoses was high (κ (xB) = 0.89 [95% CI 0.84 –0.93]) but without statistically significant difference F3D (κ (F3D) = 0.90 [95% CI 0.86 – 0.94]). Thirty-one (14.9%) inter-reconstruction diagnostic discrepancies were observed of which 21 (10.1%) were classified as major. The follow-up confirmed the diagnosis of F3D in 10 cases, xB in 6 cases and was non-contributory in 5 cases. CONCLUSIONS: xB reconstruction algorithm was found reliable, providing high interobserver agreement and similar diagnostic confidence to F3D reconstruction in clinical routine.