Standardized Uptake Value (SUV)

The Standardized Uptake Value (SUV) describes how many times higher the activity of a selected region is, than what would be measured in case of an assumed uniform tissue distribution of the radiopharmaceutical.

The advantages and features of the SUV:

• It is simple
• It allows for the comparison of examinations (therapy monitoring)
• It assumes that the global metabolism of the radiopharmaceutical in the patient does not change between two examinations (it is often questionable whether clearance is the same, or if there are no changing inflammatory processes, ...)
• The further conditions of accuracy: the PET camera must be calibrated at appropriate intervals; the timing of the imaging must be performed following a strict protocol