High-pitch spiral CT with 3D reformation: an alternative choice for imaging vascular anomalies with affluent blood flow in the head and neck of infants and children

Feasibility study of using one-tenth mSv radiation dose in young children chest CT with 80 kVp and model-based iterative reconstruction

CT has become a routine imaging modality based on its excellent ability of displaying lung structures and diseases. But, how to reduce radiation dose of routine CT examination is a concern for radiologists. Our study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of using 80kVp and a model-based iterative reconstruction (MBIR) algorithm to achieve one-tenth mSv dose chest CT in infants and young children. Thirty-two cases (study group, average age 1.71 ± 1.01 years) underwent non-contrast chest CT examination at low dose with 80 kV, 4mAs and was reconstructed with MBIR (LD-MBIR) and the standard adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASIR) algorithm (LD-ASIR); another group (control group) of 32 children underwent routine-dose chest CT with 100 kV and was reconstructed with ASIR only (RD-ASIR). The subjective and objective image quality of the three groups were measured and statistically compared. The radiation dose for the low dose scan was 0.09 ± 0.02 mSv, 6% of the routine dose. All LD-MBIR images were diagnostically acceptable. Compared with the RD-ASIR images, the LD-MBIR images were similar in noise in the left ventricle, muscles, lung field, on-par in displaying large airways, lung lucency and mediastinum, but were inferior in displaying lung marking, small airways and mediastinum. Thus, MBIR images with low dose in pediatric chest CT can be used in the diagnosis for lung field and air way disorders in infants and young children.

Computed tomography in paediatric heart disease

Cardiovascular CT (CCT) is an important imaging modality in congenital and acquired paediatric heart disease. Technological advances have resulted in marked improvements in spatial and temporal resolution of CCT with a concomitant increase in speed of data acquisition and a decrease in radiation dose. This has elevated CCT from being sparingly used to an essential diagnostic tool in the daily multimodality imaging practice alongside echocardiography, cardiovascular MR and invasive angiography. The application of CCT in paediatric congenital and acquired heart disease can be both technically and diagnostically challenging. This review highlights important considerations for current state of the art CCT across the spectrum of heart disease encountered in children.

Cinematic rendering - an alternative to volume rendering for 3D computed tomography imaging

Abstract

Volume rendering (VR) represents today’s standard three-dimensional (3-D) image post-processing technique, and often is used to visualize complex anatomical information. Recently, a novel 3-D technique for post-processing of computed tomography (CT) image data has been introduced, which is called cinematic rendering (CR). The objective of this review is to illustrate the image appearance and potential value of CR in comparison with conventional VR in a number of various applications and different anatomical regions. Similar to VR, CR best visualizes high density and high contrast structures such as bones and contrast-enhanced vessels, but at the same time provides a more natural and photo-realistic illumination of the rendered data. Further research will be necessary for determining possible advantages of CR over conventional VR and over two-dimensional (2-D) image post-processing for CT image data.

Teaching Points

• Cinematic rendering is a novel post-processing technique for 3D visualization of CT image data.

• Compared to volume rendering, CR results in a more photo-realistic representation of anatomy.

• Similar to volume rendering, CR provides best image quality of high density structures.