Prediction of optimal injection protocol for tumor detection in contrast-enhanced dynamic hepatic CT using simulation of lesion-to-liver contrast difference.
The detection of hepatic lesions in computed tomography (CT) is improved when a contrasting material is administered intravenously, but it depends considerably on how this agent is injected. In this study, we constructed a compartment model for a liver containing a hepato-cellular carcinoma (HCC), and simulated the difference in lesion-to-liver contrast enhancement. Using this model, we simulated the effects of various injection factors on the detectability of a lesion and searched for the optimal injection protocol for detecting tumors in contrast-enhanced dynamic hepatic CTs. We found that the mass injection rate, or k-value (in mg/s), (which is the volume injection rate, in ml/s, multiplied by the contrast agent concentration, in mg/ml) plays a critical role in the injection protocol optimized for tumor detection, and has a unique value for a given body weight independent of the total injection dose.
Kim
S
S
Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, Seoul National University, South Korea.
Kim
J H
JH
Han
J K
JK
Lee
K H
KH
Min
B G
BG
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D007472:Iohexol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008433:Mathematics; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D003287:Contrast Media; D007472:Iohexol; C038192:iopromide