Abstract
Dual energy CT (DECT) of the chest is most commonly used to visualize the iodine distribution in the pulmonary parenchyma as a surrogate for pulmonary perfusion. Additionally, pulmonary ventilation can be assessed using inhaled contrast agents. This functional information is obtained along with the high-resolution anatomical information CT provides. Visualization of iodine uptake has also been investigated in thoracic oncologic imaging; here, it may aid in the characterization of pulmonary nodules. Furthermore, DECT offers the possibility for novel reconstruction techniques which can optimize contrast-to-noise ratio in chest CT. Overall, thoracic DECT is still in early stages of development. While numerous studies have demonstrated its feasibility and diagnostic potential, reliable data on the value of the technique for clinical decision-making is still missing. Currently, only lung perfusion assessment and post-processing techniques for image contrast optimization can be considered established enough for clinical use.
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Meinel, F.G., Zhang, L.J., Krazinski, A.W., Schoepf, U.J. (2015). Dual-Energy CT in Thoracic Imaging. In: Carrascosa, P., Cury, R., GarcÃa, M., Leipsic, J. (eds) Dual-Energy CT in Cardiovascular Imaging. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-21227-2_7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-21227-2_7
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