Contrast medium dose optimization in the era of multi-energy CT

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Medical Imaging
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Increasing use of contrast-enhanced CT necessitates dose optimization for iodinated contrast medium (ICM).
• Potential adverse effects on patients, environment, and public health, alongside cost and supply concerns, drive the need for reduced ICM usage.
• Conventional single-energy CT has limitations in material characterization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an overview of multi-energy CT (MECT) technologies.
• To explore the utility of MECT for optimizing ICM dose across various clinical indications.
• To discuss current issues and related topics concerning MECT and ICM dose reduction.

Main Methods:

• Review of multi-energy CT technologies, including dual-energy CT and photon-counting detector CT.
• Analysis of spectral-based imaging options, particularly virtual monoenergetic imaging.
• Discussion of clinical applications and challenges in ICM dose optimization.

Main Results:

• MECT enables material characterization beyond conventional CT.
• Virtual monoenergetic imaging shows promise for substantial ICM dose reduction.
• MECT technologies are increasingly adopted in clinical practice, enhancing patient care.

Conclusions:

• MECT offers advanced imaging capabilities for material characterization.
• Virtual monoenergetic imaging is a key strategy for reducing ICM dose effectively.
• MECT adoption is growing, improving diagnostic tasks and patient outcomes while addressing dose reduction needs.