Lung image quality with 320-row wide-volume CT scans: the effect of prospective ECG-gating and comparisons with 64-row helical CT scans.
Acad Radiol 2012;
19:380-8. [PMID:
22222025 DOI:
10.1016/j.acra.2011.12.001]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2011] [Revised: 12/22/2011] [Accepted: 11/24/2011] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALES AND OBJECTIVES
To evaluate the image quality of 320-row wide-volume (WV) computed tomography (CT) scans in comparison with 64-row helical scans for the lung.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The Institutional Review Board of each institution approved this prospective, multicenter study and informed consent was obtained. A total of 73 subjects underwent two types of chest CT, including 320-row WV scans and 64-row helical scans. Both scans used the same tube voltage, tube current, exposure time setting, and slice thickness. The helical scans were not electrocardiogram (ECG)-gated. For the WV scans, prospective ECG-gating was used for 38 subjects, whereas the other 35 subjects did not have ECG-gating. Using a 5-point scale from 1 (nondiagnostic) to 5 (excellent), three blinded observers independently evaluated image quality for five lobes and the lingula. The differences in the scores between WV scans and helical scans were compared using Wilcoxon's signed-rank test.
RESULTS
The WV scans with ECG-gating had significantly higher scores than 64-row helical scans for all lobes and lingula (right lower lobe, P < .01; other lobes and lingula, P < .0001, respectively). The 320-row WV scans without ECG-gating also had significantly higher scores than 64-row helical scans (P < .05), except for nonsignificant differences for the left upper lobe.
CONCLUSIONS
Lung image quality of ECG-gated WV scans, which do not require any additional radiation exposure, is better than that of non-ECG-gated 64-row helical scans. Non-ECG-gated 320-row WV scans are comparable or slightly superior to non-ECG-gated 64-row helical scans.
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