Improved image quality in dual-energy abdominal CT: comparison of iterative reconstruction in image space and filtered back projection reconstruction.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to investigate whether an iterative reconstruction in image space (IRIS) algorithm improves the image quality of dual-energy CT abdominal examinations performed during the hepatic arterial phase.

Materials And Methods: Seventy patients with suspected liver masses underwent contrast-enhanced multiphase abdominal examination and were enrolled in the study. A dual-energy CT protocol was performed in the hepatic arterial phase (parameters: tube A, 140 kV and 90 mA; tube B, 80 kV and 382 mA; automatic tube current modulation on; and collimation, 14 × 1.2 mm). The reconstructions were performed with filtered back projection (FBP) and IRIS algorithms at a slice thickness of 3 mm and kernels of B30 and I30. The image noise was measured on the liver, aorta, and subcutaneous fat on the FBP and IRIS fusion images (m = 0.3) at the same position. The image noise and diagnostic acceptability of all images were scored by two radiologists.

Results: The image noise using the IRIS algorithm was lower than that using the standard FBP algorithm on the liver, aorta, and subcutaneous fat, respectively. The signal-to-noise ratio and contrast-to-noise ratio of images reconstructed with the IRIS algorithm also were significantly higher than for those reconstructed with the FBP algorithm. The diagnostic acceptability score using the IRIS algorithm was higher than that using the FBP algorithm at the same dose level (1.20 ± 0.40 vs 1.37 ± 0.57; p < 0.05).

Conclusion: Compared with standard FBP reconstruction, an IRIS algorithm enables significant reduction of image noise and improvement of image quality and has the potential to decrease radiation exposure during contrast-enhanced dual-energy CT abdominal examination.