title: Correlation of patient weight and cross-sectional dimensions with subjective image quality at standard dose abdominal CT.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We evaluated the association between patients' weight and abdominal cross-sectional dimensions and CT image quality.
  
  
  METHODS
  We prospectively evaluated 39 cancer patients aged more than 65 years with multislice CT scan of abdomen. All patients underwent equilibrium phase contrast-enhanced abdominal CT with 4 slices (from top of the right kidney) obtained at standard tube current (240-280 mA). All other scanning parameters were held constant. Patients' weight was measured just prior to the study. Cross-sectional abdominal dimensions such as circumference, area, average anterior abdominal wall fat thickness and, anteroposterior and transverse diameters were measured in all patients. Two subspecialty radiologists reviewed randomized images for overall image quality of abdominal structures using 5- point scale. Non-parametric correlation analysis was performed to determine the association of image quality with patients' weight and cross-sectional abdominal dimensions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A statistically significant negative linear correlation of 0.46, 0.47, 0.47, 0.58, 0.56, 0.54, and 0.56 between patient weight, anterior abdominal fat thickness, anteroposterior and transverse diameter, circumference, cross-sectional area and image quality at standard scanning parameters was found (p<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a significant association between image quality, patients' weight and cross-sectional abdominal dimensions. Maximum transverse diameter of the abdomen has the strongest association with subjective image quality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
authors.forename: Mannudeep K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Kalra
authors.forename: Michael M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Maher
authors.forename: Srinivasa R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Prasad
authors.forename: M Sikandar
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Hayat
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Blake
authors.forename: Jose
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Varghese
authors.forename: Elkan F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Halpern
authors.forename: Sanjay
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saini
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D001837:Body Weights and Measures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015588:Observer Variation; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011860:Radiography, Abdominal / Q000379:methods*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media