Quantification of iodine concentration by dual-energy CT in patients with acute pancreatitis
E Utrera Pérez1, G Tárdaguila de la Fuente1, C Martínez Rodríguez1
1Departamento de Radiología, Hospital Povisa, Vigo, Pontevedra, España.
Insights
Dual-energy CT revealed significantly lower pancreatic iodine concentrations in acute pancreatitis patients compared to healthy controls. This finding may aid in diagnosing early-stage pancreatic disease.
Area of Science:
- Radiology
- Medical Imaging
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Acute pancreatitis is a common gastrointestinal condition.
- Accurate early diagnosis is crucial for effective management.
- Dual-energy CT (DECT) offers advanced imaging capabilities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate differences in pancreatic iodine concentration using DECT.
- To assess DECT's potential in distinguishing acute pancreatitis from healthy pancreas.
Main Methods:
- DECT scans were performed on 27 acute pancreatitis patients and 11 controls.
- Iodine maps were generated post-processing.
- Pancreatic iodine concentrations were measured in three regions and normalized to aortic density.
Main Results:
- Mean iodine density was significantly lower in pancreatitis patients (2.5 mg/ml) versus controls (3.65 mg/ml) (p = 0.02).
- Patients with glandular necrosis showed even lower iodine density (1.53 mg/ml).
Conclusions:
- Pancreatic iodine concentration measured by DECT is significantly different in early-stage acute pancreatitis.
- DECT-quantified iodine concentration may serve as a diagnostic biomarker for acute pancreatitis.
Objective:
To determine whether pancreatic iodine concentrations quantified by dual-energy CT differ between patients with acute pancreatitis and those without imaging or laboratory findings indicative of pancreatic disease.
Material And Methods:
We compared findings on single-phase dual-energy CT images acquired 55seconds after the intravenous administration of contrast material in 27 patients with acute pancreatitis who underwent the examination 48 to 72hours after the onset of symptoms versus in 11 patients (controls) with no imaging findings suggestive of pancreatic disease and normal amylase and lipase who underwent the examination with the same protocol for other purposes. Imaging postprocessing included the generation of iodine maps. Three regions of interest were selected (pancreatic head, body, and tail) to obtain iodine concentrations (mg/ml) to compare between groups. Iodine concentrations were also calculated a second time by normalizing the density of iodine with the aorta.
Results:
The mean density of iodine was 2.5mg/ml in patients with pancreatitis vs. 3.65mg/ml in controls (p = 0.02). In three patients with glandular necrosis, the density of iodine was 1.53mg/ml.
Conclusions:
The concentration of iodine in the pancreas measured with dual-energy CT differs significantly between patients with initial-stage acute pancreatitis and those without imaging or laboratory findings indicative of pancreatic disease.
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