Dual-energy CT for routine imaging of the abdomen and pelvis: radiation dose and image quality.

Purpose: To assess the radiation dose and image quality of routine dual energy CT (DECT) of the abdomen and pelvis performed in the emergency department setting, compared with single energy CT (SECT).

Materials And Methods: Seventy-five consecutive routine contrast-enhanced SECT scans of the abdomen and pelvis meeting inclusion criteria were compared with 75 routine contrast-enhanced DECT scans matched by size and patient weight (within 10 lbs), performed on the same dual-source DECT scanner. Cohorts were compared in terms of radiation dose metrics of CT dose index (CTDI) and dose length product (DLP), objective measurements of image quality (signal, noise, and signal-to-noise ratio of a variety of anatomical landmarks), and subjective measurements of image quality scored by two emergency radiologists.