16-MDCT aortography with a low-dose contrast material protocol.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of our study was to evaluate whether a low-dose contrast material (CM) protocol with a saline flush might provide sufficient contrast enhancement in aortoiliac 16-MDCT angiography.


METHODS
Forty-five patients were divided into two groups on the basis of the CM (300 mg I/mL) administration protocol: group 1 (23 patients) received 100 mL of CM at 3.0 mL/sec; and group 2 (22 patients), 50 mL of CM at 3.0 mL/sec followed by a 20-mL saline flush at 3.0 mL/sec. All patients underwent 16-MDCT angiography of the entire aortoiliac region. Seven regions of interest (ROIs) were drawn from the ascending aorta (ROI 1) to the external iliac artery (ROI 7). Quantitative analysis was performed by calculating the mean aortoiliac attenuation and the mean difference between the maximum and minimum attenuation values. Vascular enhancement of the renal arteries was visually assessed using 2D and 3D postprocessing techniques.


RESULTS
The mean aortoiliac attenuation in group 1 was 314.3 +/- 45.9 H and that in group 2 was 306.1 +/- 35.0 H. The difference was not statistically significant. Adequate mean aortoiliac attenuation was achieved in 95.7% (22/23) and 95.5% (21/22) of patients in groups 1 and 2, respectively. The difference was not statistically significant. The mean difference between the maximum and minimum attenuation values was significantly smaller in group 1 (41.3 +/- 16.8 H) than in group 2 (57.2 +/- 25.3 H). The renal arteries were assessable in all patients in both groups.


CONCLUSIONS
This protocol of 50 mL of CM with a saline flush provides attenuation comparable to that obtained with the 100 mL of CM in aortoiliac 16-MDCT angiography.
Utsunomiya
Daisuke
D
Diagnostic Imaging Center, Saiseikai Kumamoto Hospital, 5-3-1 Chikami, Kumamoto-shi, Kumamoto 861-4193, Japan. d-utsunomiya@skh.saiseikai.or.jp
Awai
Kazuo
K
Tamura
Yoshitaka
Y
Nishiharu
Taiji
T
Urata
Joji
J
Sakamoto
Takashi
T
Taniguchi
Akira
A
Yamashita
Yasuyuki
Y
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001014:Aortic Aneurysm / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001027:Aortography / Q000379:methods*; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D007479:Iopamidol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
D003287:Contrast Media; C057937:iomeprol; D007479:Iopamidol