title: Low tube voltage and low contrast material volume cerebral CT angiography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the image quality, radiation dose and diagnostic accuracy of low kVp and low contrast material volume cerebral CT angiography (CTA) in intracranial aneurysm detection.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred twenty patients were randomly divided into three groups (n = 40 for each): Group A, 70 ml iodinated contrast agent/120 kVp; group B, 30 ml/100 kVp; group C, 30 ml/80 kVp. The CT numbers, noise, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were measured in the internal carotid artery (ICA) and middle cerebral artery (MCA). Subjective image quality was evaluated. For patients undergoing DSA, diagnostic accuracy of CTA was calculated with DSA as reference standard and compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CT numbers of ICA and MCA were higher in groups B and C than in group A (P < 0.01). SNR and CNR in groups A and B were higher than in group C (both P < 0.05). There was no difference in subjective image quality among the three groups (P = 0.939). Diagnostic accuracy for aneurysm detection among these groups had no statistical difference (P = 1.00). Compared with group A, the radiation dose of groups B and C was decreased by 45% and 74%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cerebral CTA at 100 or 80 kVp using 30 ml contrast agent can obtain diagnostic image quality with a low radiation dose while maintaining the same diagnostic accuracy for aneurysm detection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  • Cerebral CTA is feasible using 100/80 kVp and 30 ml contrast agent. • This approach obtains diagnostic image quality with 45-74% radiation dose reduction. • Diagnostic accuracy for intracranial aneurysm detection seems not to be compromised.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210002, China.
authors.forename: Song
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Long Jiang
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Felix G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Meinel
authors.forename: Chang Sheng
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.forename: Andrew D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: McQuiston
authors.forename: U Joseph
authors.initials: UJ
authors.lastname: Schoepf
authors.forename: Guang Ming
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002533:Cerebral Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D002532:Intracranial Aneurysm / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D007472:Iohexol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D007472:Iohexol; C038192:iopromide