title: Comparison of different iodine concentration contrast media in perfusion computed tomography of the brain: is high iodine concentration useful?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate maximum enhancement and visual map quality in cerebral perfusion computed tomography (PCT) with variation of iodine concentration of contrast media (CM).
  
  
  METHODS
  Two groups of 45 patients each, underwent PCT with either 370 mg iodine/mL (30 mL; 6 mL/s) or 300 mg iodine/mL (40 mL; 8 mL/s) CM, respectively, and similar total iodine dose. Parenchymal and vascular enhancement as well as contrast-to-noise ratio of superior sagittal sinus was measured on PCT source images. PCT maps were rated visually with dichotomized scale for diagnostic quality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Enhancement and contrast-to-noise ratio of the superior sagittal sinus was significantly higher for the 370 mg iodine/mL protocol (P < 0.0002 and P < 0.007), whereas parenchymal enhancement was not significantly different. Diagnostic quality of PCT maps did not differ between both protocols (P < 0.557).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PCT using 370 mg iodine/mL CM can be reliably performed with reduced injection rate and less total volume enabling smaller diameter of intravenous canula compared with 300 mg iodine/mL CM.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Radiology, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany. kloska@uni-muenster.de
authors.forename: Stephan P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Kloska
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: Darius G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Nabavi
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wessling
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dittrich
authors.forename: Roman
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fischbach
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Seidensticker
authors.forename: E Bernd
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Ringelstein
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Heindel
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007455:Iodine; D008297:Male; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014783:Viscosity
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D007455:Iodine