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Effective contrast use in CT angiography and dual-phase hepatic CT performed with a subsecond scanner
W Luboldt1, J Straub, M Seemann
1Institute of Diagnostic Radiology, University Hospital Grosshadern, Munich, Germany.
Objective:
To deduce an optimal injection protocol for CT angiography and fast dual-phase hepatic CT.
Methods:
Fifty-two patients underwent fast dual-phase hepatic CT using one of three different injection protocols: A (0.9 g/sec iodine injection rate, 36 g dose); B (1.35 g/sec, 30 g); C (1.6 g/sec, 40 g). Aortic attenuation time curves as well as aorta-to-liver contrast and hepatic enhancement time curves obtained by region of interest measurements along the helical axis were analyzed.
Results:
Protocol C revealed a significantly higher peak in aortic attenuation and hepatic enhancement than the other protocols. Approximately 50 seconds after the bolus injection, hepatic enhancement declined to a plateau similar to that seen with the other protocols. In terms of the areas under the curves of the aorta-to-liver contrast and hepatic enhancement dynamics, protocol C was significantly superior to the other protocols.
Conclusions:
A high iodine injection rate realized by a high iodine concentration in conjunction with fast dual-phase scanning (total scan time < 50 seconds) promises to enhance CT angiography and contrast of liver lesions.