Imaging of the temporal bone in children using low-dose 320-row area detector computed tomography

The aim of this study was to compare the image quality obtained using low-dose and standard-dose 320-row temporal bone computed tomography (CT) in paediatric patients.

Thirteen low-dose CT (120 kV/50 mAs) and nine standard-dose CT (120 kV/100 mAs) images from children up to 5 years of age were compared for their image quality. The noise and signal-to-noise ratio for bone, fat and air were measured. Two observers assessed the overall image quality and ability to visualize 14 small anatomic structures using a 5-point scale, with a score of 3-5 indicating imaging of diagnostic quality.

Noise was significantly higher and the signal-to-noise ratio was significantly lower with low-dose CT. Although the overall image quality and visibility of several structures on low-dose CT were significantly reduced when compared with standard-dose CT, all the image quality scores were 3 or >3. The dose-length products for low-dose CT and standard-dose CT were 59.6 mGy·cm and 119.3 mGy·cm, respectively.

Low-dose CT of the temporal bone using 320-row CT provides images of diagnostic quality for assessment of middle and inner ear anatomy, similar to that provided by the standard-dose protocol, in spite of increased image noise.