title: Effect of automated tube voltage selection, integrated circuit detector and advanced iterative reconstruction on radiation dose and image quality of 3rd generation dual-source aortic CT angiography: An intra-individual comparison.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare, on an intra-individual basis, the effect of automated tube voltage selection (ATVS), integrated circuit detector and advanced iterative reconstruction on radiation dose and image quality of aortic CTA studies using 2nd and 3rd generation dual-source CT (DSCT).
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively evaluated 32 patients who had undergone CTA of the entire aorta with both 2nd generation DSCT at 120kV using filtered back projection (FBP) (protocol 1) and 3rd generation DSCT using ATVS, an integrated circuit detector and advanced iterative reconstruction (protocol 2). Contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) was calculated. Image quality was subjectively evaluated using a five-point scale. Radiation dose parameters were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All studies were considered of diagnostic image quality. CNR was significantly higher with protocol 2 (15.0±5.2 vs 11.0±4.2; p<.0001). Subjective image quality analysis revealed no significant differences for evaluation of attenuation (p=0.08501) but image noise was rated significantly lower with protocol 2 (p=0.0005). Mean tube voltage and effective dose were 94.7±14.1kV and 6.7±3.9mSv with protocol 2; 120±0kV and 11.5±5.2mSv with protocol 1 (p<0.0001, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Aortic CTA performed with 3rd generation DSCT, ATVS, integrated circuit detector, and advanced iterative reconstruction allow a substantial reduction of radiation exposure while improving image quality in comparison to 120kV imaging with FBP.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Imaging, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA; Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Eberhard-Karls University Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mangold
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Imaging, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
authors.forename: Carlo N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: De Cecco
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Imaging, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA; Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany.
authors.forename: Julian L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Wichmann
authors.affiliation: Siemens Medical Solutions, Malvern, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Canstein
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Imaging, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
authors.forename: Akos
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Varga-Szemes
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Imaging, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA; Department of Radiological Sciences, Oncology and Pathology, University of Rome "Sapienza", Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Damiano
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Caruso
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Imaging, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
authors.forename: Stephen R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Fuller
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Eberhard-Karls University Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Fabian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bamberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Eberhard-Karls University Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Konstantin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nikolaou
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Imaging, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA; Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA. Electronic address: schoepf@musc.edu.
authors.forename: U Joseph
authors.initials: UJ
authors.lastname: Schoepf
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001011:Aorta / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001014:Aortic Aneurysm / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001027:Aortography / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D000072226:Computed Tomography Angiography / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media
keywords: Aorta; Automated tube voltage selection; CT angiography; Dual-source CT; Radiation dose reduction