Positive-pressure breath-hold positron emission tomography/computed tomography is feasible for respiratory-induced artifact reduction in healthy dogs.

Objective: To perform qualitative and quantitative analysis of positron emission tomography (PET)/CT images using spontaneous ventilation (SV) and positive-pressure breath-hold (PPBH) techniques in order to demonstrate the feasibility of PPBH PET/CT to decrease respiration-induced artifacts.

Animals: 5 healthy female mixed-breed dogs.

Procedures: 2-([18F]fluoro)-2-deoxy-D-glucose (was administered to each anesthetized dog. An SV PET/CT scan was performed from the head to the femur using 8 bed positions (3 min/bed) followed by a PPBH scan centered over the diaphragm with a single bed position (1.5 min/bed). PET image quality, the misalignment of organs between PET and CT images, and standardized uptake values (SUVs) of liver adjacent to diaphragm were compared between SV and PPBH.

Results: Overall image quality and conspicuity of anatomic structures were superior in PPBH than in SV PET images. PPBH induced significantly less misalignment of the liver and diaphragm in all planes compared to SV. For the gall bladder, PPBH showed significantly less misalignment than SV only in the transverse plane. The maximum SUV in all of the liver areas was significantly higher with PPBH compared to SV. PPBH exhibited significantly higher mean SUV in the liver adjacent to the left diaphragmatic dome and left lateral border and higher minimum SUV only in the liver adjacent to the left diaphragmatic dome.

Clinical Relevance: PPBH was demonstrated to be a feasible PET/CT protocol with higher PET image quality, less organ misalignment on fused PET/CT, and more accurate SUVs of the liver compared to SV PET/CT in healthy dogs.