title: Precision of iodine quantification in hepatic CT: effects of iterative reconstruction with various imaging parameters.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using iterative reconstructions in hepatic CT to improve the precision of Hounsfield unit quantification, which is the degree to which repeated measurements under unchanged conditions provide consistent results.
  
  
  METHODS
  An anthropomorphic liver phantom with iodinated lesions designed to simulate the enhancement of hypervascular tumors during the late hepatic arterial phase was imaged, and images were reconstructed with both filtered back projection (FBP) and iterative reconstructions, such as adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASIR) and model-based iterative reconstruction (MBIR). This protocol was further expanded into various dose levels, tube voltages, and slice thicknesses to investigate the effect of iterative reconstructions under all these conditions. The iodine concentrations of the lesions were quantified, with their precision calculated in terms of repeatability coefficient.
  
  
  RESULTS
  ASIR reduced image noise by approximately 35%, and improved the quantitative precision by approximately 5%, compared with FBP. MBIR reduced noise by more than 65% and improved the precision by approximately 25% compared with the routine protocol. MBIR consistently showed better precision across a thinner slice thickness, lower tube voltage, and larger patient, achieving the target precision level at a dose lower (≥ 40%) than that of FBP.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ASIR blended with 50% of FBP indicated a moderate gain in quantitative precision compared with FBP but could achieve more with a higher percentage. A higher gain was achieved by MBIR. These findings may be used to reduce the dose required for reliable quantification and may further serve as a basis for protocol optimization in terms of iodine quantification.
authors.affiliation: Duke University, Durham, NC 27705, USA. baiyu.chen@duke.edu
authors.forename: Baiyu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Marin
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Richard
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Husarik
authors.forename: Rendon
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.forename: Ehsan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Samei
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D006801:Humans; D007455:Iodine / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008954:Models, Biological; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D007455:Iodine