Adaptation of contrast injection protocol to tube potential for cardiovascular CT.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate and validate adaptation of a cardiovascular CT angiography contrast injection protocol for lower tube potential.

Materials And Methods: Eighty-three patients evaluated for thoracic aortic disease with a 256-MDCT scanner were imaged at 120 kV (group 1) or 100 kV (group 2) with the same contrast protocol (90 mL iopromide 370 mg I/mL at 3.5 mL/s).

Low-dose, wide-detector array thoracic aortic CT angiography using an iterative reconstruction technique results in improved image quality with lower noise and fewer artifacts.

Background: Iterative reconstruction techniques (IRTs) may improve image quality for low-dose imaging compared with filtered back projection (FBP) reconstruction.

Objectives: We compared the results of an IRT for low-dose thoracic aortic computed tomography (CT) imaging with those from FBP reconstruction.

Methods: Data from 50 patients who underwent 256-slice CT for evaluation of the thoracic aorta were reconstructed with FBP and an IRT (iDose(4)) at 3 noise-reduction strengths (levels 2, 4, and 6).