Peripheral bronchial luminal conspicuity on dynamic-ventilation computed tomography: association with radiation doses...

It is still unclear which image reconstruction algorithm is appropriate for peripheral bronchial luminal conspicuity (PBLC) on dynamic-ventilation computed tomography (DVCT).

To assess the influence of radiation doses and temporal resolution (TR) on the association between movement velocity (MV) and PBLC on DVCT.

An ex vivo porcine lung phantom with simulated respiratory movement was scanned by 320-row CT at 240 mA and 10 mA. Peak and dip CT density and luminal area adjusted by values at end-inspiration (CTD_peak and CTD_dip, luminal area ratio [LAR]) for PBLC and MVs were measured and visual scores (VS) were obtained at 12 measurement points on 13 frame images obtained at half and full reconstructions (TR 340 and 190 ms) during expiration. Size-specific dose estimate (SSDE) was applied to presume radiation dose. VS, CTD_peak, CTD_dip, LAR, and their cross-correlation coefficients with MV (CCC) were compared among four methods with combinations of two reconstruction algorithms and two doses.

The dose at 10 mA was presumed as 26 mA by SSDE for standard proportion adults. VS, CTD_dip, CTD_peak, and LAR with half reconstruction at 10 mA (2.52 ± 0.59, 1.016 ± 0.221, 0.948 ± 0.103, and 0.990 ± 0.527) were similar to those at 240 mA except for VS, and different from those with full reconstruction at both doses (2.24 ± 0.85, 0.830 ± 0.209, 0.986 ± 0.065, and 1.012 ± 0.438 at 240 mA) (P < 0.05). CCC for CTD_dip with half reconstruction (-0.024 ± 0.552) at 10 mA was higher compared with full reconstruction (-0.503 ± 0.291) (P < 0.05).

PBLC with half reconstruction at 10 mA was comparable to that at 240 mA and better than those with full reconstruction on DVCT.