title: Small pulmonary nodules: volume measurement at chest CT--phantom study.
abstract: Three-dimensional methods for quantifying pulmonary nodule volume at computed tomography (CT) and the effect of imaging variables were studied by using a realistic phantom. Two fixed-threshold methods, a partial-volume method (PVM) and a variable method, were used to calculate volumes of 40 plastic nodules (largest dimension, <5 mm: 20 nodules with solid attenuation and 20 with ground-glass attenuation) of known volume. Tube current times (20 and 120 mAs), reconstruction algorithms (high and low frequency), and nodule characteristics were studied. Higher precision was associated with use of a PVM with predetermined pure nodule attenuation, high-frequency algorithm, and diagnostic CT technique (120 mAs). A PVM is promising for volume quantification and follow-up of nodules.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Section of Thoracic Imaging, New York University Medical Center, 560 1st Ave, New York, NY 10016, USA. jane.ko@med.nyu.edu
authors.forename: Jane P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rusinek
authors.forename: Erika L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.forename: James S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Babb
authors.forename: Margrit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Betke
authors.forename: Georgeann
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: McGuinness
authors.forename: David P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Naidich
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*