Digital cine angiography permits radiation dose reduction without reduction in image quality.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate how much the radiation dose in digital cine angiography (DCA) systems can be reduced while maintaining an image quality equivalent to that of conventional cine angiography (CCA).


METHODS
Simulated vessel phantoms were subjected to DCA and CCA. In DCA, the input dose value to the image intensifier built in the system was 0.10, 0.12, 0.14, 0.17, 0.2, and 0.24 microGy. The detectability for simulated vessel phantoms was visually evaluated by five observers. The radiation dose was measured using radiofluorescent glass-rod dosimeters. Doses of digital cine imaging were measured as relative values with the dose of CCA considered as 1.0.


RESULTS
The relative DCA/CCA values in DCA, measured by radiofluorescent glass-rod dosimeters, ranged from 0.414 to 0.901 for simulated vessel phantoms


CONCLUSIONS
DCA allows a reduction by 59% of the radiation dose compared with CCA without reduction of image quality.
Funama
Yoshinori
Y
Department of Radiology, Kyushu University Hospital.
Awai
Kazuo
K
Umezu
Yoshiyuki
Y
Shimamura
Masamichi
M
Ogawa
Kazuhisa
K
Kato
Toyoyuki
T
Hashida
Masahiro
M
Yamashita
Yasuyuki
Y
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015901:Angiography, Digital Subtraction / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000379:methods*