title: Dose and image quality of high-pitch dual source computed tomography for the evaluation of cervical lymph node status - comparison to regular 128-slice single source computed tomography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A high-pitch dual-source CT (DSCT) was compared to a standard single-source CT protocol in terms of dose and image quality for malignant lymphoma staging.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from 43 patients who underwent DSCT (group 1) of the neck for staging of malignant lymphoma and 40 patients who underwent regular single source CT (group 2) were investigated retrospectively. Volume CT dose index (CTDIvol), dose length product (DLP), background noise (BN), attenuation values, signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR), scan time, effective tube current-time product (eff. mAs), subjective diagnostic image quality and artifact burden were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CTDIvol (5.5 ± 0.8 mGy vs. 12.4 ± 1.4 mGy), DLP (172 ± 27 mGycm vs. 344 ± 60 mGycm, p<0.0001), eff. mAs (98 ± 15 mAs vs. 183 ± 20 mAs, p<0.0001) and scan time (0.64 ± 0.05 s vs. 8.21 ± 0.72 s) were lower for group 1. BN was higher (p<0.001) for group 1 with a mean difference of 2.6 HU. SNR for sternocleidomastoid and pectoral muscle was lower (6.6-12.3 vs. 7.8-19.1) for group 1. Subjective image quality (1.55 ± 0.6 vs. 1.42 ± 0.5) and artifact burden (1.62 ± 1.0 vs. 1.57 ± 0.9) were not rated significantly different (p=0.47 and p=0.80) with a good inter-observer agreement (κ=0.59-0.90).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High-pitch DSCT allows reduction of patient dose for cervical lymphoma staging while diagnostic image quality is preserved.
authors: Goethe University of Frankfurt, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt, Germany. bbodelle@googlemail.com
authors: Boris
authors: B
authors: Bodelle
authors: Ralf W
authors: RW
authors: Bauer
authors: Lara
authors: L
authors: Holthaus
authors: Boris
authors: B
authors: Schulz
authors: Firas
authors: F
authors: Al-Butmeh
authors: Julian L
authors: JL
authors: Wichmann
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Beeres
authors: Thomas J
authors: TJ
authors: Vogl
authors: J Matthias
authors: JM
authors: Kerl
mesh_terms: D002574:Cervical Vertebrae; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*