Quantitative measure of radiotracer uptake normalised to body weight and injected dose
Expansion
Standardised Uptake Value
Purpose
Standardises tracer uptake for lesion characterisation and therapy response
Clinical Context
Standardised uptake value equals (activity or voxel) divided by (injected dose divided by body weight). Standardised uptake value maximum (highest voxel) greater than 3 to 5 suggests cancer; low standardised uptake value (less than 2.5) favours benignity.
Related Terms
- SUVmax
- Metabolic activity
Key Points
- Standardised uptake value maximum greater than 3 to 5 typically concerning for malignancy; lower in benign processes