Development of perfusion CT software for personal computers.
OBJECTIVE
The authors developed software for creating quantitative maps of arterial and portal perfusion in the upper abdominal organs on personal computers. The image quality of these perfusion computed tomographic (CT) images was visually evaluated.


METHODS
In 58 patients (38 men, 20 women; mean age, 63.9 years +/- 11.9; range, 22-85 years) with various diseases of the upper abdomen, 91 single-section dynamic CT studies were obtained. The data were transferred on-line to a personal computer, and quantitative maps of arterial and portal perfusion were created by means of the maximum-slope method. Perfusion CT images were reviewed by a radiologist and a radiation technologist, and image quality was rated according to a four-category scoring system (1 = good quality, 2 = moderate, 3 = poor, 4 = images could not be created).


RESULTS
Arterial perfusion CT images could be created in 81 (89%) of 91 examinations, and 74 images (81%) were scored as 1 or 2. Portal perfusion CT images could be created in 60 (68%) of 88 examinations, in which a portal trunk was included in the section, and 33 of them (38%) were scored as 1 or 2. Patient motion during dynamic CT sequences resulted in poor image quality in seven arterial and 27 portal perfusion images.


CONCLUSIONS
Perfusion CT can combine quantitative perfusion maps with good anatomic detail in one image, although patient movement frequently degrades image quality in portal perfusion CT.
Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Gunma University Hospital, Japan.
Yoshito
Y
Tsushima
Shintaro
S
Funabasama
Shigeru
S
Sanada
Jun
J
Aoki
Keigo
K
Endo
D000005:Abdomen / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000792:Angiography; D001158:Arteries / Q000502:physiology*; D003201:Computers; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011168:Portal System / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology*; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D012985:Software Design; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*