Effects of the Use of Automatic Tube Current Modulation on Patient Dose and Image Quality in Computed Tomography
Journal Title: Molecular Imaging and Radionuclide Therapy - Year 2019, Vol 28, Issue 3
Abstract
Objectives: The frequency of abdominal computed tomography examinations is increasing, leading to a significant level of patient dose. This study aims to quantify and evaluate the effects of automatic tube current modulation (ATCM) technique on patient dose and image quality in contrast-enhanced biphasic abdominal examinations. Methods: Two different scan protocols, based on constant tube current and ATCM technique, were used on 64 patients who visited our radiology department periodically. For three patient groups with different patient size, results from two protocols were compared with respect to patient dose and image quality. Dosimetric evaluations were based on the Computed Tomography Dose Index, dose length product, and effective dose. For the comparison of image qualities between two protocols, Noise Index (NI) and Contrast to Noise Ratio (CNR) values were determined for each image. Additionally, the quality of each image was evaluated subjectively by an experienced radiologist, and the results were compared between the two protocols. Results: Dose reductions of 31% and 21% were achieved by the ATCM protocol in the arterial and portal phases, respectively. On the other hand, NI exhibited an increase between 9% and 46% for liver, fat and aorta. CNR values were observed to decrease between 5% and 19%. All images were evaluated by a radiologist, and no obstacle limiting a reliable diagnostic evaluation was found in any image obtained by either technique. Conclusion: These results showed that the ATCM technique reduces patient dose significantly while maintaining a certain level of image quality.
Authors and Affiliations
Ayşegül Yurt, İsmail Özsoykal, Funda Obuz
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP637350
- DOI 10.4274/mirt.galenos.2019.83723
- Views 99
- Downloads 0
The Role of 18F-FDG PET/CT in Detecting Ovarian Cancer Recurrence in Patients with Elevated CA-125 Levels
Objectives: To investigate the role of 18F-FDG positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in detection of recurrence in ovarian cancer patients with increased CA-125 levels. Methods: Fifty-two patients (30...
Super Scan Caused by Parathyroid Carcinoma Observed Both in 18F-FDG PET/CT Scan and Tc-99m MDP Bone Scintigraphy
Super scan is a well-known finding described in skeletal scintigraphy characterized by uniform symmetrically increased radiopharmaceutical uptake by bones and consequently diminished renal parenchymal activity. Sy et al....
Usefulness of 18F-FDG PET/CT in Cutaneous Melanoma Patients with Negative Sentinel Lymph Nodes and High Clark Levels
Objective: We investigated the utility of PET/CT in cutaneous melanoma (CM) patients with pathological negative sentinel lymph nodes (SLN), within the first year. Methods: The results of PET/CTs and SLN biopsy (SLNB) in...
Unexpected Hepatic Uptake of Tc-99m-MAA in Lung Perfusion Scintigraphy in a Patient with End-stage Renal Disease
Extra-pulmonary accumulation of Tc-99m-macroaggregated albumin (MAA) is described as uptake areas out of the lung in perfusion scintigraphy. If the particles spread throughout the body before reaching the lung via venous...
The Contribution of Fluorine 18F-FDG PET/CT to Lung Cancer Diagnosis, Staging and Treatment Planning
Objective: Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related death throughout the world, and the correct choice of treatment based on early diagnosis and staging increases the chance of survival. The present study a...