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Updated: Oct 24, 2025

Contrast Enhanced Vessel Imaging using MicroCT
Published on: January 27, 2011
Contrast-Enhanced Abdominal CT with Clinical Photon-Counting Detector CT: Assessment of Image Quality and Comparison
Kai Higashigaito1, André Euler1, Matthias Eberhard1
1Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Raemistrasse 100, Zurich 8091, Switzerland.
Rationale And Objectives:
To determine quantitative and qualitative image quality of contrast-enhanced abdominal photon-counting detector CT (PCD-CT) compared to energy-integrating detector CT (EID-CT) in the same patients.
Material And Methods:
Thirty-nine patients (mean age 63 ± 10 years, 10 females, mean BMI 26.0 ± 5.7 kg/m2) were retrospectively included who underwent clinically indicated, contrast-enhanced abdominal CT in portal-venous phase with first-generation dual-source PCD-CT and who underwent previous abdominal CT with EID-CT. For both scan, same contrast media protocol was used. PCD-CT was performed in QuantumPlus mode (obtaining full spectral information) at 120kVp. EID-CT was performed using automated tube voltage selection (reference tube voltage 100kVp). In PCD-CT, virtual monoenergetic images (VMI) were reconstructed in 10keV intervals (40-90 keV). Tube current-time product in PCD-CT was modified in each patient to obtain same volume CT-dose-index (CTDIvol) as with EID-CT. Attenuation of organs and vascular structures were measured, noise quantified, and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) calculated. Two independent, blinded radiologists assessed subjective image quality using a 5-point Likert scale (overall image quality, image noise, contrast, and liver lesion conspicuity).
Results:
Median time interval between the scan was 12 months. BMI (p = 0.905) and CTDIvol (p = 0.984) were similar between scans. CNRparenchymal and CNRvascular of VMI from PCD-CT at 40 and 50keV were significantly higher than EID-CT (all, p < 0.05). Overall, inter-reader agreement for all subjective image quality readings was substantial (Krippendorff's alpha = 0.773). Overall image quality of VMI was rated similar at 50 and 60 keV compared to EID-CT (all, p > 0.05). Subjective image noise was significantly higher at 40-50 keV, contrast significantly higher at 40-60 keV (all, p < 0.05). Lesion conspicuity was rated similar on all images.
Conclusion:
Our intra-individual analysis of abdominal PCD-CT indicates that VMI at 50 keV shows significantly higher CNR at similar subjective image quality as compared to EID-CT at identical radiation dose.
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