METHODS: PubMed and Google Scholar were systematically searched for the relevant studies by following the PRISMA 2009 checklist. A past decade literature search was conducted from 2010 until November 2020 to secure the relevance of the phantom study. Databases were recruited using keywords such as phantom, quantification, standardisation, harmonisation, image quality, standardised uptake value and multicentre study. However, all keywords were related to PET/CT. All abstracts and eligible full-text articles were screened independently, and finally, the quality assessments of this review were performed.

RESULTS: From the 200 retrieved articles, 80 were rejected after the screening of the abstracts and 35 after reading the full-text. The 20 accepted articles addressed the distribution of phantom types used in selected articles studies which were NEMA (67%), ACR (8%) and others (25%). The articles showed the various experimental studies, either phantom studies (35%) or phantom plus clinical studies (65%). For clinical studies (n = 829), the distribution of prospective studies was (n = 674) and retrospective studies was (n =155). The distribution of phantom pathway application showed the studies focused on 40% of reconstruction protocol studies, 30% of the multicentre and standardisation of accreditation program studies, and 30% of the quantification of uptake values studies.