1. Ultra-Low-Dose Whole-Body Computed Tomography Protocol Optimization for Patients With Plasma Cell Disorders: Diagnostic Accuracy and Effective Dose Analysis From a Reference Center
- Author
-
Davide Tore, Osvaldo Rampado, Carla Guarnaccia, Roberto Mina, Maria Oronzio, Ambra Santonocito, Alessandro Serafini, Giulio Antonino Strazzarino, Laura Gianusso, Sara Bringhen, Paolo Fonio, and Alessandro Depaoli
- Subjects
ultra-low-dose whole-body CT ,multiple myeloma ,plasma cell disorders ,effective dose ,dose reduction ,Neoplasms. Tumors. Oncology. Including cancer and carcinogens ,RC254-282 - Abstract
BackgroundThe whole-body low-dose CT (WBLDCT) is the first-choice imaging technique in patients with suspected plasma cell disorder to assess the presence of osteolytic lesions. We investigated the performances of an optimized protocol, evaluating diagnostic accuracy and effective patient dose reduction using a latest generation scanner.Methods and MaterialsRetrospective study on 212 patients with plasma cell disorders performed on a 256-row CT scanner. First, WBLDCT examinations were performed using a reference protocol with acquisition parameters obtained from literature. A phantom study was performed for protocol optimization for subsequent exams to minimize dose while maintaining optimal diagnostic accuracy. Images were analyzed by three readers to evaluate image quality and to detect lesions. Effective doses (E) were evaluated for each patient considering the patient dimensions and the tube current modulation.ResultsA similar, very good image quality was observed for both protocols by all readers with a good agreement at repeated measures ANOVA test (p>0.05). An excellent inter-rater agreement for lesion detection was achieved obtaining high values of Fleiss’ kappa for all the districts considered (p
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF