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Trends in radiation dose and image quality for pediatric patients with a multidetector CT and a third-generation
Andrea Agostini1,2, Alberto Mari3, Cecilia Lanza4
1University Politecnica delle Marche, Via Tronto 10/A, 60126, Ancona, Italy. dott.andrea.agostini@gmail.com.
Insights
A new dual-source CT scanner significantly reduces radiation dose and improves image quality in pediatric patients undergoing oncological staging and low-dose chest CT scans.
Area of Science:
- Radiology
- Medical Imaging
- Pediatric Imaging
Background:
- Pediatric CT scans require careful dose management.
- Advancements in CT technology aim to reduce radiation exposure while maintaining diagnostic image quality.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate dose reduction and image quality in pediatric patients after implementing a third-generation dual-source CT (dsCT).
Main Methods:
- Pediatric patients (<20 years) undergoing CT for oncological staging or low-dose chest CT were included.
- Scans were compared between a 16-row CT (2017) and a third-generation dsCT (2018).
- Technical parameters and image quality (5-point scale) were analyzed.
Main Results:
- The dsCT achieved significantly lower kVp and tube current in oncological patients, with 5-6 times lower total DLP.
- Virtual non-contrast images contributed to dose reduction.
- In low-dose chest CT, the dsCT yielded a 3 times lower total DLP in younger children (≤10 years) and improved image quality.
Conclusions:
- The third-generation dsCT enables high-quality pediatric imaging with reduced radiation dose.
- This advanced technology also minimizes motion artifacts in pediatric scans.
Aim:
To provide an overview on dose reduction and image quality after the installation of a third-generation dual-source CT (dsCT) in a Pediatric Radiology Department.
Materials And Methods:
We included pediatric patients (< 20 years old) undergoing CT for oncological staging (neck, chest and abdomen) or low-dose chest CT for lung diseases. Each of these two groups were further divided in two age groups (≤ or > 10 years old) including patients scanned in the same period of two consecutive years, in 2017 with a 16-row LightSpeed CT (GE Healthcare) or in 2018 with a Somatom Force dsCT (Siemens Healthineers). Technical parameters such as kVp, mAs, slice thickness, exposure times and dose indicators were retrieved and compared. Image quality was evaluated in consensus by two radiologists on a five-point semiquantitative scale. Nonparametric tests were used.
Results:
In oncological patients, significantly lower kVp and tube current with better image quality were achieved with the dsCT. Radiation dose (total DLP) was 5-6 times lower with dsCT, thanks also to virtual non-contrast images. In low-dose chest CT, the frequent use of tin filter required higher tube current; a total DLP 3 times lower was achieved with dsCT in patients ≤ 10 years old. The image quality was better with the dsCT in low-dose chest CT protocols.
Conclusion:
The third-generation dsCT provides high-quality images with reduced motion artifacts at lower dose.
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