title: ASSESSMENT OF CLINICAL IMAGE QUALITY IN PAEDIATRIC ABDOMINAL CT EXAMINATIONS: DEPENDENCY ON THE LEVEL OF ADAPTIVE STATISTICAL ITERATIVE RECONSTRUCTION (ASiR) AND THE TYPE OF CONVOLUTION KERNEL.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of different combinations of convolution kernel and the level of Adaptive Statistical iterative Reconstruction (ASiR™) on diagnostic image quality as well as visualisation of anatomical structures in paediatric abdominal computed tomography (CT) examinations. Thirty-five paediatric patients with abdominal pain with non-specified pathology undergoing abdominal CT were included in the study. Transaxial stacks of 5-mm-thick images were retrospectively reconstructed at various ASiR levels, in combination with three convolution kernels. Four paediatric radiologists rated the diagnostic image quality and the delineation of six anatomical structures in a blinded randomised visual grading study. Image quality at a given ASiR level was found to be dependent on the kernel, and a more edge-enhancing kernel benefitted from a higher ASiR level. An ASiR level of 70 % together with the Soft™ or Standard™ kernel was suggested to be the optimal combination for paediatric abdominal CT examinations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Physics, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, SE-413 45 Gothenburg, Sweden Section of Diagnostic Imaging and Functional Medicine, NU Hospital Group, SE-461 85 Trollhättan, Sweden joel.larsson@vgregion.se.
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Larsson
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Physics, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, SE-413 45 Gothenburg, Sweden Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, SE-413 45 Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Magnus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Båth
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Skaraborg Hospital, SE-541 85 Skövde, Sweden.
authors.forename: Kerstin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ledenius
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Radiology and Physiology, The Queen Silvia Children's Hospital, SE-416 85 Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Håkan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Caisander
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Physics, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, SE-413 45 Gothenburg, Sweden Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, SE-413 45 Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thilander-Klang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000465:Algorithms; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015233:Models, Statistical; D015588:Observer Variation; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D000069079:Radiation Exposure / Q000032:analysis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000379:methods; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D059629:Signal-To-Noise Ratio; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D012984:Software; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*