[Comparison of 3D reconstructed images between the standard-dose and the low-dose chest CT].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the difference of the 3D image quality between the low-dose and the standard-dose chest CT.


METHODS
Eleven patients were randomly scanned with the standard-dose CT and 9 with the low-dose CT. Quality of the images from both groups was evaluated by different postprocessing techniques.


RESULTS
The effective tube current, total tube current, and CT dose index volume were (114.55 +/- 26.20) mAs, (1578.27 +/- 353.09) mAs, and (7.76 +/- 1.77) mGy, respectively, in the standard-dose scanning group, and were 20 mAs, (566.11 +/- 46.23) mAs, and (1.46 +/- 0.07) mGy, respectively, in the low-dose scanning group. All these indicators had significant differences between these two groups (P < 0.001). The image noises were (17.67 +/- 3.24) HU in standard-dose group and (31.61 +/- 9.42) HU in low-dose group (P < 0.001). As shown by different postprocessing techniques, the median score of the standard-dose group and the low-dose group were 4.52 and 4.78, respectively, which was not significantly different (P = 0.92).


CONCLUSIONS
The low-dose CT scanned with 20 mAs effective tube current can remarkably reduce the radiation dose, and provide satisfactory postprocessing images for diagnosis.
Department of Radiology, PUMC Hospital, CAMS and PUMC, Beijing 100730, China.
Jian
J
Xu
Wei
W
Song
Ming-li
ML
Li
Xiao-dan
XD
Zhang
Zheng-yu
ZY
Jin
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic / Q000379:methods*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*