Personalized Contrast Agent Volumes in Abdominal CT: Bridging Theory with Practice.

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Medical Imaging
• Diagnostic Imaging

Background:

• Optimizing contrast media administration in abdominal CT is crucial for diagnostic accuracy.
• Current protocols may lack personalization, potentially leading to suboptimal enhancement.
• Standardized Hounsfield unit (HU) targets are needed for consistent image quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine a target HU for portal venous phase contrast-enhanced abdominal CT.
• To develop a personalized equation for calculating contrast agent volume.
• To identify the optimal scan delay for peak HU enhancement.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 370 contrast-enhanced abdominal CT scans for HU measurements.
• Visual grading of 90 additional scans to establish minimal diagnostic HU.
• Regression analysis correlating patient data with ideal contrast volumes.

Main Results:

• A target HU of 125 was established.
• A personalized contrast volume equation was derived: -108.5 + (0.40 * weight) + (0.61 * height) + (0.40 * heart rate).
• The average optimal scan delay was 102 seconds post-injection.

Conclusions:

• A comprehensive protocol for contrast-enhanced venous phase abdominal CT is proposed.
• The protocol includes a target HU, a personalized contrast volume formula, and a specific scan delay.
• This approach aims to improve diagnostic image quality and consistency.