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Chest CT in patients after lung transplantation: A retrospective analysis to evaluate impact on image quality and radiation dose using spectral filtration tin-filtered imaging.

Published version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

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Authors

Wressnegger, Alexander  ORCID logo  https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4257-8025
Prosch, Helmut 
Klepetko, Walter 
Jaksch, Peter 

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of a 150kV spectral filtration chest imaging protocol (Sn150kVp) combined with advanced modeled iterative reconstruction (ADMIRE) on radiation dose and image quality in patients after lung-transplantation. METHODS: This study included 102 patients who had unenhanced chest-CT examinations available on both, a second-generation dual-source CT (DSCT) using standard protocol (100kVp, filtered-back-projection) and, on a third-generation DSCT using Sn150kVp protocol with ADMIRE. Signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) was measured in 6 standardized regions. A 5-point Likert scale was used to evaluate subjective image quality. Radiation metrics were compared. RESULTS: The mean time interval between the two acquisitions was 1.1±0.7 years. Mean-volume-CT-dose-index, dose-length-product and effective dose were significantly lower for Sn150kVp protocol (2.1±0.5mGy;72.6±16.9mGycm;1.3±0.3mSv) compared to 100kVp protocol (6.2±1.8mGy;203.6±55.6mGycm;3.7±1.0mSv) (p<0.001), equaling a 65% dose reduction. All studies were considered of diagnostic quality. SNR measured in lung tissue, air inside trachea, vertebral body and air outside the body was significantly higher in 100kVp protocol compared to Sn150kVp protocol (12.5±2.7vs.9.6±1.5;17.4±3.6vs.11.8±1.8;0.7±0.3vs.0.4±0.2;25.2±6.9vs.14.9±3.3;p<0.001). SNR measured in muscle tissue was significantly higher in Sn150kVp protocol (3.2±0.9vs.2.6±1.0;p<0.001). For SNR measured in descending aorta there was a trend towards higher values for Sn150kVp protocol (2.8±0.6 vs. 2.7±0.9;p = 0.3). Overall SNR was significantly higher in 100kVp protocol (5.0±4.0vs.4.0±4.0;p<0.001). On subjective analysis both protocols achieved a median Likert rating of 1 (25th-75th-percentile:1-1;p = 0.122). Interobserver agreement was good (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.73). CONCLUSIONS: Combined use of 150kVp tin-filtered chest CT protocol with ADMIRE allows for significant dose reduction while maintaining highly diagnostic image quality in the follow up after lung transplantation when compared to a standard chest CT protocol using filtered back projection.

Description

Keywords

Algorithms, Female, Humans, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, Lung Diseases, Lung Transplantation, Male, Middle Aged, Radiation Dosage, Radiographic Image Enhancement, Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted, Radiography, Thoracic, Retrospective Studies, Signal-To-Noise Ratio, Tin, Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Journal Title

PLoS One

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

1932-6203
1932-6203

Volume Title

15

Publisher

Public Library of Science (PLoS)