Radiation Dose Reduction with a Low-Tube Voltage Technique for Pediatric Chest Computed Tomographic Angiography Based on the Contrast-to-Noise Ratio Index. Issue 4 (November 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Masuda, Takanori; Funama, Yoshinori; Nakaura, Takeshi; Tahara, Masahiro; Yamashita, Yukari; Kiguchi, Masao; Imada, Naoyuki; Sato, Tomoyasu; Awai, Kazuo
• Is Part Of: Canadian Association of Radiologists journal. Volume 69:Issue 4(2018)
• Page Start: 390
• Page End: 396
• Publication Date: 2018-11
• Subjects: Radiation dose reduction -- Contrast-to-noise ratio -- Pediatric computed tomographic angiography -- Low-tube-voltage; Radiology, Medical -- Periodicals; Radiology, Medical -- Canada -- Periodicals; 616.0757
• DOI: 10.1016/j.carj.2018.05.004
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0846-5371

Abstract

Introduction: The aim of this study was to evaluate the radiation dose and image quality at low tube-voltage pediatric chest computed tomographic angiography (CTA) that applies the same contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) index as the standard tube voltage technique. Materials and Methods: Contrast-enhanced chest CTA scans of 100 infants were acquired on a 64-row multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) scanner. In the retrospective study, we evaluated 50 images acquired at 120 kVp; the image noise level was set at 25 Hounsfield units. In the prospective study, we used an 80-kVp protocol; the image noise level was 40 Hounsfield units because the iodine contrast was 1.6 times higher than on 120-kVp scans; the CNR was as in the 120-kVp protocol. We compared the CT number, image noise, CT dose index volume (CTDIvol ), and the dose-length product on scans acquired with the 2 protocols. A diagnostic radiologist and a pediatric cardiologist visually evaluated all CTA images. Results: The mean CTDIvol and the mean dose-length product were 0.5 mGy and 7.8 mGy-cm for 80- and 1.2 mGy and 20.8 mGy-cm for 120-kVp scans, respectively ( P < .001). The mean CTDIvol was 42% lower at 80 kVp than at 120 kVp, and there was no significant difference in the visual scores assigned to the CTA images ( P = .28). Conclusions: With the CNR index being the same at 80-kVp and 120-kVp imaging, the radiation dose delivered to infants subjected to chest CTA can be reduced without degradation of the image quality.