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Liver virtual non-enhanced CT with dual-source, dual-energy CT: a preliminary study

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Abstract

Purpose

To compare virtual non-enhanced liver CT (VNCT) from dual-energy CT (DECT) with true non-enhanced liver CT (TNCT) in patients.

Methods

A total of 102 patients underwent multi-phase abdominal CT. Liver arterial VNCT (VNCTA) and portovenous VNCT (VNCTV) images were derived from the arterial and portovenous DECT data. The mean CT number, signal to noise ratio (SNR), image quality, contrast to noise (CNR) of liver lesions, lesion detectability and radiation dose were compared.

Results

There was no difference in mean CT numbers of all organs (all P > 0.05). SNR on VNCT images was higher than that of TNCT (all P < 0.001). Image quality of VNCT was diagnostic but lower than that of TNCT (P < 0.001). VNCTA images were superior to VNCTV (P < 0.001). VNCTA and VNCTV detected 78 (91%) and 70 (81%) of 86 hepatic focal lesions visualised on TNCT. There was no difference in the size, attenuation and CNR of focal hepatic lesions (all P > 0.05), but SNR of the lesions on VNCT was higher than that on TNCT (P < 0.001). Radiation dose of biphase DECT was lower than that of routine triphase CT (P < 0.001).

Conclusion

VNCTA may potentially replace TNCT as part of a multi-phase liver imaging protocol with consequent saving in radiation dose.

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Abbreviations

VNCT:

virtual non-enhanced CT

VNCTA :

virtual non-enhanced CT images derived from the arterial phase dual-energy CT data

VNCTV :

virtual non-enhanced CT images derived from the portovenous phase dual-energy CT data

TNCT:

true non-enhanced liver CT

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Imaging, Jinling Hospital, Clinical School of Medical College, Nanjing University, 305 Zhongshan East Road, Xuanwu District, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, 210002, China

    Long-Jiang Zhang, Xin-Sheng Wu, Chang-Sheng Zhou, Xue-Man Ji & Guang-Ming Lu

  2. Department of Radiology, Bailu Hospital, 92–96 Wenyuan Road, Siming District, Xiamen, Fujian Province, 361003, China

    Jin Peng

  3. Medical Imaging Institute of Tianjin, Tianjin, 300192, China

    Sheng-Yong Wu

  4. Section of Abdominal Imaging, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94143-0628, USA

    Z. Jane Wang

Authors
  1. Long-Jiang Zhang
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  2. Jin Peng
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  3. Sheng-Yong Wu
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  5. Xin-Sheng Wu
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  6. Chang-Sheng Zhou
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  8. Guang-Ming Lu
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Correspondence to Guang-Ming Lu.

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Zhang, LJ., Peng, J., Wu, SY. et al. Liver virtual non-enhanced CT with dual-source, dual-energy CT: a preliminary study. Eur Radiol 20, 2257–2264 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-010-1778-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-010-1778-7

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