Optimizing z-axis coverage of abdominal CT scans of the urinary tract: a proposed alternative proximal landmark for acquisition planning.

Objective: To evaluate an alternative method to reduce the acquisition coverage of urinary tract CT.

Methods: This retrospective study included 365 abdominopelvic CT studies. Three radiographers simulated shortened acquisition coverages using three methods to determine the upper limit of the acquisition: Method 1 used the renal contours; Method 2 used the inferior margin of the 10th thoracic vertebra; and Method 3 used the point of intersection of the left diaphragmatic dome and the anterior margin of the vertebral bodies.

Gastric Wall Fatty Infiltration in Patients Without Overt Gastrointestinal Disease.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the frequency of gastric wall fatty infiltration in patients without overt gastrointestinal disease.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective study included patients who underwent unenhanced MDCT for renal colic. Two radiologists reviewed all of the images and evaluated for the presence of gastric wall fatty infiltration.

Low-dose CT with automatic tube current modulation, adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction, and low tube voltage for the diagnosis of renal colic: impact of body mass index.

Objective: The objective of our study was to evaluate the impact of body mass index (BMI) on dose, diagnostic performance, and image quality of a low-dose CT examination for renal colic.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study included all patients who underwent a low-dose CT examination for renal colic performed during the year 2012 with automatic tube current modulation, adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction, and a low tube voltage (kV). Three readers independently reviewed all images for the presence of renal colic and evaluated diagnostic confidence and image quality.