Which radiopharmaceutical is known to have low spatial resolution due to high positron range?

The radiopharmaceutical known to exhibit low spatial resolution due to high positron range is 82Rb-Chloride. This characteristic can be attributed to the properties of rubidium-82, which emits positrons with a relatively high energy compared to other commonly used PET radionuclides. The higher the energy of the positron emitted, the farther it can travel in tissue before annihilating with an electron, leading to a wider distribution of the resulting gamma photons. This phenomenon results in a blurring effect on the PET images, reducing spatial resolution.

In contrast, radiopharmaceuticals like 13N-Ammonia, Carbon-11, and Oxygen-15 tend to have lower positron range due to their lower energy positrons. As a result, they contribute to better spatial resolution in imaging. These differences in positron range and its impact on spatial resolution are essential considerations when selecting radiopharmaceuticals for PET imaging, influencing the quality and accuracy of the diagnostic information obtained from the scans.