Less radiation, same quality: contrast-enhanced multi-detector computed tomography investigation of thoracic lymph nodes with one milli-sievert.

Purpose: Mediastinal, hilar, and peripheral pulmonary lymphadenopathy is a hallmark sign of different benign and malignant diseases of the chest. Contrast-enhanced (CE) chest CT is a test frequently applied to examine thoracic lymph node zones. We attempted to find out whether mediastinal, hilar, and peripheral lymph nodes delineate equally in CE chest CT with reduced dose (CE-LDCT, about 1 mSv) when compared with accepted standard CE chest CT (CE-SDCT).