title: The pilot study of dual-energy CT gemstone spectral imaging on the image quality of hand tendons.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the image quality of hand tendons using dual-energy computed tomographic gemstone spectral imaging (DECT GSI) compared with conventional CT images.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty patients scanned with GSI mode on DECT were enrolled. The 65-keV optimal contrast-to-noise ratio for viewing hand tendons was selected. The image quality of monochromatic GSI images (65 keV) and conventional CT images was compared with two different methods including a subjective method and an objective method by two radiologists, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the subjective method, the image quality in GSI images was superior to conventional CT images (P<.05). And in the objective method, the beam-hardening artifacts in the phalanges of finger space were reduced markedly, with hand tendons displaying more clearly in GSI images (P<.05). There was no significant difference between the two radiologists in both methods, with good correlation (kappa=0.75, kappa=0.85).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  DECT GSI with the optimal 65-keV monochromatic images could reduce the artifacts and increase image quality significantly in hand tendons imaging. It might be very useful in detecting tendon diseases in routine work.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Qianfoshan Hospital affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan 250014, PR China.
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jun-jun
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Guang-li
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Cheng-qi
authors.initials: CQ
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016477:Artifacts; D005260:Female; D006225:Hand / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015900:Radiography, Dual-Energy Scanned Projection / Q000379:methods*; D013710:Tendons / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Beam-hardening artifact; Dual-energy CT; Hand tendon; Spectral imaging