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Image quality and radiation dose of different scanning protocols in DSCT cardiothoracic angiography for children with tetralogy of fallot

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the image quality and radiation dose of different scanning protocols in dual-source CT cardiothoracic angiography for children with tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). Seventy-five consecutive children with known or suspected TOF were enrolled to undergo prospective ECG-triggering sequential dual-source CT (DSCT) cardiothoracic angiography. According to the scanning protocols, these patients were randomly divided into 3 groups: fixed delay time (FDT, n = 25, group A), automatic bolus-tracking (ABT, n = 25, group B) and manual bolus-tracking (MBT, n = 25, group C). Subjective and objective image quality were evaluated. The radiation doses were recorded. The image quality scores of group C were significantly higher than those of group A and B. The absolute value of difference (D-value) on CT attenuation between left (CTLV) and right ventricle (CTRV) in group C was significantly lower than that in group A and B. The total effective dose of groups A, B and C were 0.39 ± 0.06 mSv, 0.40 ± 0.07 mSv and 0.40 ± 0.08 mSv, respectively. There was no significant difference among 3 groups (P = 0.722). Scanning protocol has significantly impacts on the image quality of cardiovascular structures for TOF patients. Compared with the conventional scanning protocols FDT and ABT, the MBT technique provides high image quality and achieves more homogenous attenuation among different patients with TOF.

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Abbreviations

CTA:

Computed tomographic angiography

CM:

Contrast media

CHD:

Congenital heart diseases

TB:

Test bolus

ABT:

Automatic bolus tracking

MBT:

Manual bolus tracking

FDT:

Fixed delay time

TOF:

Tetralogy of fallot

PS:

Pulmonary stenosis

VSD:

Ventricular septal defect

DSCT:

Dual-source CT

ROI:

Region of interest

RA:

Right atrium

VR:

Volume rendering

MIP:

Maximum intensity projection

MPR:

Multiplanar reformation

LV:

Left ventricle

RV:

Right ventricle

AA:

Ascending aorta

MPA:

Main pulmonary artery

D-value:

Absolute value of difference between the attenuation of left ventricle and right ventricle

SNR:

Signal-to-noise ratio

CNR:

Contrast-to-noise ratio

DLP:

Dose-length product

ED:

Effective dose

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Funding

This study was supported by Grant of Taishan scholars projection, the National Science Foundation of China [Grant Number 81571672 and 81871354], the Key Research and Development Program of Shandong [Grant Number 2015GGH318005 and 2018GSF118178], and Post Doctor Funding of China [Grant Number 2015M582898]

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Imaging, Jinling Hospital, School of Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210002, People’s Republic of China

    Yanhua Duan & Guangming Lu

  2. Department of Radiology, Shandong Medical Imaging Research Institute, Shandong University, No. 324 Jingwu Road, Jinan, 250021, People’s Republic of China

    Yanhua Duan, Dawei Wu, Baoting Chao, Zhaoping Cheng & Xin Yan

  3. Department of Ultrasound, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affliated to Shandong First Medical University, Shandong University, No. 324 Jingwu Road, Jinan, 250021, People’s Republic of China

    Li Chen

  4. Department of Radiology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affliated to Shandong First Medical University, Shandong University, No. 324 Jingwu Road, Jinan, 250021, People’s Republic of China

    Shuo Zhao, Baojin Chen & Ximing Wang

  5. CT Scientific Collaboration, Siemens Healthcare Limited, Beijing, 100102, People’s Republic of China

    Min Xu

Authors
  1. Yanhua Duan
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  2. Li Chen
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  3. Dawei Wu
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  4. Baoting Chao
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  5. Zhaoping Cheng
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  6. Xin Yan
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  7. Shuo Zhao
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  9. Min Xu
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  10. Ximing Wang
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  11. Guangming Lu
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Correspondence to Ximing Wang or Guangming Lu.

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Duan, Y., Chen, L., Wu, D. et al. Image quality and radiation dose of different scanning protocols in DSCT cardiothoracic angiography for children with tetralogy of fallot. Int J Cardiovasc Imaging 36, 1791–1799 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10554-020-01882-w

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10554-020-01882-w

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