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Abdominal Imaging Dual-Energy CT Applications

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Dual-Energy CT in Cardiovascular Imaging

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Abstract

Dual energy CT (DECT) technology offers enhanced capabilities that can benefit both oncologic and nononcologic imaging in the abdomen. By virtue of scanning with two different energies, material decomposition is now possible on the basis of their energy dependent attenuation profile. Improvements in the iodine conspicuity on processed low energy virtual monochromatic (VMC) images and the iodine maps can benefit lesion detection and characterization. VMC images generated with desired energies (40–140 keV) can improve lesion to background contrast and improve the quality of vascular imaging for pre-surgical planning. The iodine specific images can enable separation of hypo attenuating tumors from low attenuation or hyperdense cysts as well as facilitate detection of isoattenuating tumors such as pancreatic mass, peritoneal disease or for defining tumor target for image-guided therapies. Moreover, quantitative iodine mapping can serve as a surrogate biomarker for monitoring post-treatment effects. DECT also shows promise in nononcologic imaging in the abdomen including discrimination of genitourinary stone composition, which impacts clinical management, and renal lesions characterization. Additional DECT applications include multimaterial decomposition, potentially allowing quantification of fat and fibrotic content of the liver. Furthermore, DECT improves patient safety with CT exams, allowing decreased iodinated contrast administration while achieving similar imaging characteristics and decreasing radiation exposure in multiphase examinations through incorporation of VUE (virtual unenhanced) images.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Abdominal and Interventional Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit St White Building, Room 270, Boston, MA, 02114-2696, USA

    Mukta Agrawal, Manuel Patino, Dushyant V. Sahani & Abraham C. Thomas

Authors
  1. Mukta Agrawal
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  2. Manuel Patino
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  3. Dushyant V. Sahani
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  4. Abraham C. Thomas
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dushyant V. Sahani .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Diagnostico Maipú, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Patricia M. Carrascosa

  2. Miami Cardiac and Vascular Institute and Baptist Health South Florida, Miami, Florida, USA

    Ricardo C. Cury

  3. Montefiore Einstein Center for Heart and Vascular Care Center, New York, New York, USA

    Mario J. García

  4. Providence Health Care, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

    Jonathon A. Leipsic

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© 2015 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

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Agrawal, M., Patino, M., Sahani, D.V., Thomas, A.C. (2015). Abdominal Imaging Dual-Energy CT Applications. In: Carrascosa, P., Cury, R., García, M., Leipsic, J. (eds) Dual-Energy CT in Cardiovascular Imaging. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-21227-2_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-21227-2_8

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-21226-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-21227-2

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