title: Value of liver computed tomography with iodixanol 270, 80 kVp and iterative reconstruction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the image quality of hepatic multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) with dynamic contrast enhancement.
  
  
  METHODS
  It uses iodixanol 270 mg/mL (Visipaque 270) and 80 kVp acquisitions reconstructed with sinogram affirmed iterative reconstruction (SAFIRE(®)) in comparison with a standard MDCT protocol. Fifty-three consecutive patients with known or suspected hepatocellular carcinoma underwent 55 CT examinations, with two different four-phase CT protocols. The first group of 30 patients underwent a standard 120 kVp acquisition after injection of Iohexol 350 mg/mL (Accupaque 350(®)) and reconstructed with filtered back projection. The second group of 25 patients underwent a dual-energy CT at 80-140 kVp with iodixanol 270. The 80 kVp component of the second group was reconstructed iteratively (SAFIRE(®)-Siemens). All hyperdense and hypodense hepatic lesions ≥ 5 mm were identified with both protocols. Aorta and portal vessels/liver parenchyma contrast to noise ratio (CNR) in arterial phase, hypervascular lesion/liver parenchyma CNR in arterial phase, hypodense lesion/liver parenchyma CNR in portal and late phase were calculated in both groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Aorta/liver and focal lesions altogether/liver CNR were higher for the second protocol (P = 0.0078 and 0.0346). Hypervascular lesions/liver CNR was not statistically different (P = 0.86). Hypodense lesion/liver CNR in the portal phase was significantly higher for the second group (P = 0.0107). Hypodense lesion/liver CNR in the late phase was the same for both groups (P = 0.9926).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MDCT imaging with 80 kVp with iterative reconstruction and iodixanol 270 yields equal or even better image quality.
authors.affiliation: Diomidis Botsikas, Isabelle Barnaure, Sylvain Terraz, Christoph D Becker, Anastasia Kalovidouri, Xavier Montet, Department of Radiology, Geneva University Hospital, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Diomidis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Botsikas
authors.affiliation: Diomidis Botsikas, Isabelle Barnaure, Sylvain Terraz, Christoph D Becker, Anastasia Kalovidouri, Xavier Montet, Department of Radiology, Geneva University Hospital, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Barnaure
authors.affiliation: Diomidis Botsikas, Isabelle Barnaure, Sylvain Terraz, Christoph D Becker, Anastasia Kalovidouri, Xavier Montet, Department of Radiology, Geneva University Hospital, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Sylvain
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Terraz
authors.affiliation: Diomidis Botsikas, Isabelle Barnaure, Sylvain Terraz, Christoph D Becker, Anastasia Kalovidouri, Xavier Montet, Department of Radiology, Geneva University Hospital, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Christoph D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.affiliation: Diomidis Botsikas, Isabelle Barnaure, Sylvain Terraz, Christoph D Becker, Anastasia Kalovidouri, Xavier Montet, Department of Radiology, Geneva University Hospital, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Anastasia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kalovidouri
authors.affiliation: Diomidis Botsikas, Isabelle Barnaure, Sylvain Terraz, Christoph D Becker, Anastasia Kalovidouri, Xavier Montet, Department of Radiology, Geneva University Hospital, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Montet
keywords: Iso-osmolar iodine contrast agent; Iterative reconstruction; Low iodine concentration contrast agent; Low-kVp computed tomography; Multiphasic dynamic liver computed tomography