title: Renal streak artifact during contrast-enhanced CT: comparison of low versus high osmolality contrast media.
abstract: Two hundred abdominal computed tomographic (CT) scans in 200 patients, 100 performed with low osmolality contrast (ioversol 68%, 100 ml) and 100 performed with high osmolality contrast (diatrizoate meglumine 60%, 150 ml), were retrospectively evaluated for the presence of renal streak artifact. Contrast was administered by hand injection at a rate of approximately 1-2 ml/s and sequential scanning was employed. Of the scans performed with high osmolality contrast, 70% had no artifact, 28% had minimal artifact, and only 2% had marked artifact. Only 26% of the exams performed with low osmolality contrast were artifact-free, whereas 53% demonstrated minimal artifact and 21% demonstrated marked artifact. The likelihood of encountering renal streak artifact when using low osmolality contrast agents is almost seven times greater than when high osmolality contrast agents are used.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Hartford, Connecticut.
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Sussman
authors.forename: F F
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Illescas
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Opalacz
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Yirga
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Foley
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016477:Artifacts; D003287:Contrast Media; D003974:Diatrizoate Meglumine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007668:Kidney / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014283:Triiodobenzoic Acids
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D014283:Triiodobenzoic Acids; D003974:Diatrizoate Meglumine; C054871:ioversol