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Updated: Jun 30, 2025
High-Resolution Cardiac Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography for Small Animals
Published on: December 16, 2022
Qualitative and quantitative image quality of coronary CT angiography using photon-counting computed tomography:
Borbála Vattay1, Melinda Boussoussou1, Milán Vecsey-Nagy1
1Heart and Vascular Center, Semmelweis University, 1122 Budapest, Városmajor Street 68., Hungary.
Purpose:
We aimed to identify the optimal reconstruction settings based on qualitative and quantitative image quality parameters on standard and ultra-high resolution (UHR) images using photon-counting CT (PCCT).
Method:
We analysed 45 patients, 29 with standard and 16 with UHR acquisition, applying both smoother and sharper kernel settings. Coronary CT angiography images were performed on a dual-source PCCT system using standard (0.4/0.6 mm slice thickness, Bv40/Bv44 kernels, QIR levels 0-4) or UHR acquisition (0.2/0.4 mm slice thickness, Bv44/Bv56 kernels, QIR levels 0-4). Qualitative image quality was assessed using a 4-point Likert scale. Image noise (SD), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were calculated in both the proximal and distal segments.
Results:
On standard resolution, larger slice thickness resulted in an average increase of 12.5 % in CNR, whereas sharper kernel led to an average 8.7 % decrease in CNR. Highest CNR was measured on 0.6 mm, Bv40, QIR4 images and lowest on 0.4 mm, Bv44, QIR0 images: 25.8 ± 4.1vs.8.3 ± 1.6 (p < 0.001). On UHR images, highest CNR was observed on 0.4 mm, Bv40, QIR4 and lowest on 0.2 mm, Bv56 and QIR0 images: 21.5 ± 3.9vs.3.6 ± 0.8 (p < 0.001). Highest qualitative image quality was found on images with Bv44 kernel and QIR level 3/4 with both slice thicknesses on standard reconstruction. Additionally, Bv56 with QIR4 on 0.2 mm slice thickness images showed highest subjective image quality. Preserved distal vessel visualization was detected using QIR 2-4, Bv56 and 0.2 mm slice thickness.
Conclusions:
Photon-counting CT demonstrated high qualitative and quantitative image quality for the assessment of coronaries and stents.
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