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Comparison of Image Quality and Radiation Dose between High-Pitch Mode and Low-Pitch Mode Spiral Chest CT in Small Uncooperative Children: The Effect of Respiratory Rate

  • Paediatric
  • Published:
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Abstract

Objectives

To compare image quality and radiation dose between high-pitch mode (HPM) and low-pitch mode (LPM) CT in young children.

Materials and methods

Forty-seven children (mean age 35.6 months; range, 0–126 months) underwent 49 CT examinations in HPM or LPM and were divided into high or low respiratory rate (RR) groups. A qualitative image quality was compared between the two modes. The volume CT dose index (CTDIvol) and dose-length product (DLP) were evaluated from the dose reports, and effective doses were assessed using a paediatric phantom.

Results

Image quality was generally better for HPM than LPM (diagnostic acceptance score, 4.00 vs. 3.46, P = 0.004); the difference was more prominent in the high RR group (4.00 vs. 3.22, P = 0.001). However, there was no significant difference in the low RR group. The mean DLP value was higher in HPM than LPM (29.48 mGy · cm vs. 23.46 mGy · cm, P = 0.022), while CTDIvol was not significantly different. The total effective radiation dose was 26 % higher in HPM than LPM (1.82 mSv vs. 1.44 mSv).

Conclusions

LPM can be considered for paediatric lung evaluation in young children with low RRs to reduce radiation dose while maintaining favourable image quality.

Key Points

• Radiation exposure is higher on high-pitch “Flash spiral mode” than on low-pitch “X-CARE mode”.

• “Flash spiral mode” generally showed better image quality than “X-CARE mode”.

• Difference in image quality was more prominent in the high RR group.

• There was no difference in image quality in the low RR group.

• “X-CARE mode” should be considered in a limited population with low RRs.

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Abbreviations

HPM:

high-pitch mode

LPM:

low-pitch mode

RR:

respiratory rate

CTDIvol :

volume CT dose index

DLP:

dose-length product

HU:

Hounsfield unit

SD:

standard deviation

SNR:

signal-to-noise ratio

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Acknowledgments

We thank Allison Alley for language consultation and editing.

The scientific guarantor of this publication is Young Hun Choi, Clinical Professor, Department of Radiology, Seoul National University Hospital. The authors of this manuscript declare no relationships with any companies, whose products or services may be related to the subject matter of the article. The authors state that this study has not received any funding. No complex statistical methods were necessary for this paper. Institutional review board approval was obtained. Written informed consent was waived by the institutional review board. No study subjects or cohorts have been previously reported. Methodology: Retrospective, Cross sectional study, Performed at one institution.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 101 Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 110-744, Republic of Korea

    Seong Ho Kim, Young Hun Choi, Hyun-Hae Cho, So Mi Lee, Jung-Eun Cheon, Woo Sun Kim & In-One Kim

  2. Institute of Radiation Medicine, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, 103 Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 110-799, Republic of Korea

    Jung-Eun Cheon, Woo Sun Kim & In-One Kim

  3. Department of Radiology, SMG-SNU Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea

    Su-Mi Shin

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  1. Seong Ho Kim
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Correspondence to Young Hun Choi.

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Kim, S.H., Choi, Y.H., Cho, HH. et al. Comparison of Image Quality and Radiation Dose between High-Pitch Mode and Low-Pitch Mode Spiral Chest CT in Small Uncooperative Children: The Effect of Respiratory Rate. Eur Radiol 26, 1149–1158 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-015-3930-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-015-3930-x

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