title: Thick-section reformatting of thinly collimated computed tomography for reduction of skull-base-related artifacts in dogs and horses.
abstract: Computed tomography (CT) of the caudal fossa of 10 canine and nine equine cadaver heads was performed with conventional slice widths of 5 and 10 mm, respectively, and with thin collimations of 1 and 2 mm, respectively. Reformatting of thinly collimated slices was done by addition of thinly collimated slices to section thicknesses of 5 and 10 mm, respectively. Seventy-six pairs of conventional and reformatted images of identical anatomic locations were evaluated for magnitude of skull-base-related artifacts and image noise. A film-based subjective evaluation of artifact and noise was performed by four radiologists on a five-point score system. There was a statistically significant reduction of artifacts of canine and equine heads by 33% and 50%, respectively, on reformatted images compared with conventional ones but no difference in image noise. On objective artifact assessment based on the magnitude of standard deviation of attenuation values in the interpetrosal region, there was a statistically significant reduction of artifacts of canine and equine heads by 23% and 39%, respectively, on reformatted images. Thick-section reformatting significantly improves image quality of CT scans of the caudal fossa in dogs and horses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Studies, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, 3900 Delancey Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6010, USA.
authors.forename: Yael
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Porat-Mosenco
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schwarz
authors.forename: Philip H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Kass
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016477:Artifacts; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000662:veterinary*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D004285:Dogs; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006736:Horses; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D019291:Skull Base / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*