Improving Cone-Beam CT Angiography for Prostatic Artery Embolization: Is a Low-Dose Protocol Equivalent to the Standard?

Benefits and advances of Cone Beam CT use in prostatic artery embolization: review of the literature and pictorial essay

Prostatic artery embolization (PAE) has proven to be an efficacious treatment for urinary symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia. PAE is performed in a complex and challenging anatomical field which may pose difficulties from procedural standpoint. Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) has been proposed as an invaluable tool during the PAE procedure. A review of different techniques and advancements, as well as demonstration of CBCT benefits via a pictorial overview of the salient examples is lacking. The techniques of CBCT are discussed herein and the virtual injection technology as an advancement in CBCT is discussed. To show the merits of CBCT in PAE, a pictorial overview of various clinical scenarios is presented where CBCT can be crucial in decision making. These scenarios are aimed at showing different benefits including identification of the origin of the prostatic artery and avoiding non-target embolization. Other benefits may include ensuring complete embolization of entire prostate gland as angiographic appearance alone can be inconclusive if it mimics a severely thickened bladder wall or ensuring adequate embolization of the median lobe to provide relief from "ball-valve" effect. Further examples include verification of embolization of the entire prostate when rare variants or multiple (> 2) arterial feeders are present.

PAE planning: Radiation exposure and image quality of CT and CBCT

PURPOSE

To determine accurate organ doses, effective doses, and image quality of computed tomography (CT) compared with cone beam CT (CBCT) for correct identification of prostatic arteries.

METHOD

A dual-energy CT scanner and a flat-panel angiography system were used. Dose measurements (gallbladder (g), intestine (i), bladder (b), prostate (p), testes (t), active bone marrow of pelvis (bmp) and femura (bmf)) were performed using an anthropomorphic phantom with 65 thermoluminescent dosimeters in the pelvis and abdomen region. For the calculation of the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of the pelvic arteries, a patient whose weight and height were almost identical to those of the phantom was selected for each examination type.

RESULTS

The effective dose of CT was 2.7 mSv and that of CBCT was 21.8 mSv. Phantom organ doses were lower for CT than for CBCT in all organs except the testes (g: 1.2 mGy vs. 3.3 mGy, i: 5.8 mGy vs. 23.9 mGy, b: 6.9 mGy vs. 19.4 mGy, p: 6.4 mGy vs. 13.2 mGy, t: 4.7 mGy vs. 2.4 mGy, bmp: 5.1 mGy vs. 18.2 mGy, bmf: 3.3 mGy vs. 6.6 mGy). For human pelvic arteries, the CNR of CT was better than that of CBCT, with the exception of one prostate artery that showed stenosis on CT. Evaluation by experienced radiologists also confirmed the better detectability of prostate arteries on CT examination.

CONCLUSIONS

In our study preprocedural CT had lower organ doses and better image quality comparedd with CBCT and should be considered for the correct identification of prostatic arteries.

Perspectives of Cone-beam Computed Tomography in Interventional Radiology: Techniques for Planning, Guidance, and Monitoring

Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) has emerged as a prominent imaging modality in interventional radiology that offers real-time visualization and precise guidance in various procedures. This article aims to provide an overview of the techniques used to guide and monitor interventions that use CBCT. It discusses the advantages of CBCT, its current applications, and potential future CBCT-related developments in the field of interventional radiology.

Prostatic Artery Embolization: Technical Pearls

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a condition that primarily affects men between the fourth and seventh decades of life, occurring due to enlargement of the prostate which subsequently causes compression of the prostatic urethra causing chronic obstruction of the urinary outflow tract. BPH can cause significant quality-of-life issues such as urinary hesitancy, intermittency, decreased urinary stream, a sensation of incomplete emptying, dysuria, urinary retention, hematuria, and nocturia. Several medical and surgical treatment modalities are available for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms and other BPH-related sequela; however, increasingly prostate artery embolization is being utilized in this patient population. Technical demands for this procedure in this population can be significant. This article describes the optimal techniques, tricks, and advanced imaging techniques that can be used to achieve desired technical outcomes.