Highlights
- •Dual Energy CT head can be used routinely in a busy pediatric practice
- •Advantages include: Decreased artifact and radiation dose
- •Disadvantages include: Increased scan time and need for dual energy capable CT scanner
Abstract
Aim
The aim of this study was to use dual energy CT technology to maintain or improve
image quality in pediatric head CT while simultaneously reducing radiation dose.
Materials and methods
In this retrospective study, helical head CTs performed using a standard head CT protocol
were compared to studies performed with a dual energy (DE) protocol. Objective comparison
was performed by measuring regions of interest in 11 areas of the brain. Subjective
rating for image quality using a Likert scale, was performed by three radiologists.
Radiation doses were evaluated using CT dose index and dose length product.
Results
Signal-to-noise ratio was, for the most part, not significantly different between
the DE and conventional scans. Contrast-to-noise ratio was slightly lower for children
over 6 year of age utilizing the dual energy protocol versus the standard protocol.
Qualitatively, there was little difference in image quality in patients <6 years old,
with the only significant difference in infratentorial noise. However, in patients
>6 years of age, infratentorial noise, sharpness and diagnostic acceptability, as
well as supratentorial sharpness were all significantly improved by DE CT technique.
Radiation exposure as measured by CTDI and DLP was modestly lower with the dual energy
protocol in all study populations.
Conclusion
Dual energy CT can be used clinically in pediatric patients to maintain or improve
image quality while reducing radiation dose.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: February 07, 2019
Accepted:
February 6,
2019
Received in revised form:
February 5,
2019
Received:
August 10,
2018
Identification
Copyright
© 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
