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Optimal dual-energy computed tomography scan parameters to detect small-sized urinary stones and their composition

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Abstract

To investigate the optimal scanning parameters of dual-energy computed tomography (DECT), which can accurately determine sensitivity (the detectability of urinary stones) and accuracy (the composition matching of urinary stones), and to apply them to clinical trials. Fifteen urinary stones were chemically analyzed, and their chemical compositions were considered a reference standard with which we compared the uric acid (UA) and non-UA compositions determined using DECT. The urinary stones were placed inside a bolus and scanned with a dual-source CT scanner under various selected dual-energy conditions (A to X) using various solid water phantom thicknesses. These datasets were analyzed using the Siemens syngo.via software tool (integrated into the CT system) for matching the sensitivity and accuracy assessments. This study showed that 80% of the highest sensitivity (detection of urinary stones) and 92% of the highest accuracy (composition matching of urinary stones) were achieved under condition A (a collimation beam width setting of 2 × 32 × 0.6 mm, an automatic exposure control setting of 80/sn140 peak kilovoltage, and a slice thickness of 0.5/0.5 mm) (P < 0.05). Application of the DECT energy parameters presented in the study will help identify the sensitivity and accuracy of UA and non-UA stone analysis, even in patients with small-sized urinary stones and in conditions difficult for analysis.

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We cannot open the clincal data for the ethical and legal problem. But we can open the partial data of urinary stones if you request.

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Acknowledgements

No funding was received to assist with the preparation of this manuscript.

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Author notes

  1. Jin-Woo Jung and Jun-Bong Shin equally contributed with the first authorship to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Urology, International St. Mary’s Hospital, Catholic Kwandong University College of Medicine, 22711 Simgokro 100Gil 25 Seo-Gu, Incheon, South Korea

    Jin-Woo Jung & Byung Il Yoon

  2. Department of Radiation Oncology, Kangwon National University Hospital, Chuncheon, South Korea

    Jun-Bong Shin

  3. Department of Diagnostic Radiology, International St. Mary’s Hospital, Catholic Kwandong, Incheon, South Korea

    Hyo-Jun Choi

  4. Siemens Healthineers Ltd, Seoul, South Korea

    Seongyong Pak

  5. Department of Physics, Korea University Sejong Campus, Sejong, South Korea

    Hyungjin Yang

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  1. Jin-Woo Jung
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  6. Byung Il Yoon
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Contributions

Conceptualization: J-JW, J-BS, HY, BIY; methodology: J-JW, J-BS, H-JC, SP; formal analysis and investigation: J-JW, J-B S, H-JC, SP; writing—original draft preparation: J-JW, J-BS; writing—review and editing: HY, BIY; resources: J-JW, J-BS; supervision: HY, BIY.

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Correspondence to Byung Il Yoon.

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Jung, JW., Shin, JB., Choi, HJ. et al. Optimal dual-energy computed tomography scan parameters to detect small-sized urinary stones and their composition. Urolithiasis 51, 54 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00240-023-01419-5

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