Very-high-flow injection rate for upper abdominal CT angiography

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Medical Imaging
• Vascular Imaging

Background:

• Multidetector helical computed tomography (MDHCT) is crucial for visualizing abdominal vasculature.
• Optimizing contrast medium injection techniques is essential for enhancing image quality in MDHCT.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare a very-high-flow injection-rate method (Group A) against a conventional injection-rate method (Group B) for improved visualization of upper abdominal arteries using MDHCT.

Main Methods:

• 240 patients with suspected abdominal lesions were randomized into two groups (120 each).
• Group A received contrast medium at 8.6-9.6 ml/s via bilateral cubital vein puncture.
• Group B received contrast medium at 2.0-3.0 ml/s via unilateral cubital vein puncture.

Main Results:

• Excellent visualization of the celiac trunk and superior mesenteric artery was achieved in both groups.
• Group A demonstrated superior visualization rates for subsegmental branches of the hepatic artery and other key arteries compared to Group B.
• The appearance rate of intrahepatic portal branches in the arterial dominant phase was significantly higher in Group A (66.7%) than in Group B (28.3%).

Conclusions:

• The very-high-flow injection-rate method (Group A) provides superior visualization of upper abdominal arteries in MDHCT compared to the conventional method (Group B).
• This advanced technique holds promise for enhancing diagnostic capabilities in evaluating complex abdominal vascular pathologies.