Cervical soft tissue imaging using a mobile CBCT scanner with a flat panel detector in comparison with corresponding CT and MRI data sets.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to evaluate soft tissue image quality of a mobile cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scanner with an integrated flat-panel detector.


METHODS
Eight fresh human cadavers were used in this study. For evaluation of soft tissue visualization, CBCT data sets and corresponding computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data sets were acquired. Evaluation was performed with the help of 10 defined cervical anatomical structures.


RESULTS
The statistical analysis of the scoring results of 3 examiners revealed the CBCT images to be of inferior quality regarding the visualization of most of the predefined structures. Visualization without a significant difference was found regarding the demarcation of the vertebral bodies and the pyramidal cartilages, the arteriosclerosis of the carotids (compared with CT), and the laryngeal skeleton (compared with MRI). Regarding arteriosclerosis of the carotids compared with MRI, CBCT proved to be superior.


CONCLUSIONS
The integration of a flat-panel detector improves soft tissue visualization using a mobile CBCT scanner.
Heiland
Max
M
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany. heiland@uke.uni-hamburg.de
Pohlenz
Philipp
P
Blessmann
Marco
M
Habermann
Christian R
CR
Oesterhelweg
Lars
L
Begemann
Philipp C
PC
Schmidgunst
Christian
C
Blake
Felix A S
FA
Püschel
Klaus
K
Schmelzle
Rainer
R
Schulze
Dirk
D
D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D054893:Cone-Beam Computed Tomography / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D009333:Neck / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods