Application of intravenous contrast in PET/CT: does it really introduce significant attenuation correction error?

Unlabelled: The current perception of using contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) for attenuation correction (AC) is that of caution, as it might lead to erroneously elevated (18)F-FDG uptake on the PET scan. This study evaluates in vivo whether an intravenous iodinated contrast agent produces a significant AC artifact in the level of standardized uptake value (SUV) changes in PET/CT.

Methods: Fifty-four patients referred for whole-body (WB) PET/CT scans were enrolled and subdivided into 2 groups.