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Purpose: To bridge neo-endothelialization (NE) of implanted left atrial appendage closure (LAA/LAAC) devices, dual antiplatelet therapy is prescribed. Cardiac computed tomography angiography (cCTA) has been proposed for the evaluation of interventional LAAC. This prospective longitudinal observational study applied a standardized imaging protocol to detect progression of NE of LAAC devices 6 months after implantation. Methods: Consecutive cCTA datasets of patients six months after LAAC were acquired and the standardized multi-planar reconstruction LAA occluder view for post-implantation evaluation (LOVE) algorithm was used. Residual flow of contrast agent inside the LAA without a peri-device leak (PDL) was defined as incomplete neo-endothelialization. Absence of residual flow was defined as complete neo-endothelialization. Since PDL allows residual flow in the LAA, irrespective of neoendothelialization, PDL were excluded from this study. Diabetes mellitus, liver disease, body-mass-index, age, device sizes and type will be assessed as predictors for incomplete NE. Results: 53 consecutive patients were recruited for cCTA imaging. 36 (68%) showed no PDL and were included in the study (median age 77 years, 19% female). At median follow-up of 6 months (median 180 days, IQR 178–180), 44% of patients showed complete NE compared to 56% with NE still incomplete. Age, BMI, device type and size as well as prevalence of diabetes mellitus and liver disease did not show significant correlation with the completeness of NE. Conclusion: This pilot study showed that neo-endothelialization is still incomplete in a majority of patients at mid-term follow-up of 6 months after successful LAAC therapy. Further investigation on the consequences of incomplete endothelialization is needed to guide antiplatelet therapy schedules.

Background: CT-based criteria for assessing gastroinstestinal stromal tumor (GIST) response to tyroskine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy are limited partly because tumor attenuation is influenced by treatment-related changes including hemorrhage and calcification. Iodine concentration may be less impacted by such changes. Objective: To determine whether DECT vital iodine tumor burden (TB) provides improved differentiation between responders and non-responders in patients with metastatic GIST undergoing TKI therapy compared to established CT and PET/CT criteria. Methods: An anthropomorphic phantom with spherical inserts mimicking GIST lesions of varying iodine concentrations and having non-enhancing central necrotic cores underwent DECT to determine a threshold iodine concentration. Forty patients (median age 57 years; 25 women, 15 men) treated with TKI for metaststic GIST were retrospectively evaluated. Patients underwent baseline and follow-up DECT and FDG PET/CT. Response assessment was performed using RECIST 1.1, modified Choi (mChoi), vascular tumor burden (VTB), DECT vital iodine TB, and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC PET) criteria. DECT vital iodine TB used the same percentage changes as RECIST 1.1 response categories. Progression-free survival (PFS) was compared between responders and non-responders for each response criteria using Cox proportional hazard ratios and Harrell's c-indices. Results: The phantom experiment identified a 0.5 mg/mL threshold to differentiate vital from non-vital tissue. Using DECT vital iodine TB, median PFS was significantly different between non-responders and responders (587 vs 167 days, respectively; p=.02). Hazard ratio for progression for DECT vital iodine TB non-responders versus responders was 6.9, versus 7.6 for EORTC PET, 3.3 for VTB, 2.3 for RECIST 1.1, and 2.1 for mChoi. C-index was 0.74 for EORTC PET, 0.73 for DECT vital iodine TB, 0.67 for VTB, 0.61 for RECIST 1.1, and 0.58 for mChoi. C-index was significantly greater for DECT vital iodine TB than RECIST 1.1 (p=.02) and mChoi (p=.002), but not different than VTB and EORTC PET (p>.05). Conclusion: DECT vital iodine TB criteria showed comparable performance as EORTC PET and outperformed RECIST 1.1 and mChoi for response assessment of metastatic GIST under TKI therapy. Clinical Impact: DECT vital iodine TB could help guide early management decisions in patients on TKI therapy.

Cardiac computed tomography angiography (cCTA) has recently been proposed for evaluation of successful interventional left atrial appendage closure (LAA/LAAC). This prospective longitudinal observational study aims to assess this proposal by applying a standardized imaging protocol to detect and quantify peri-device leaks (PDL) after LAAC. cCTA datasets of consecutive patients 6 months after successful LAAC were acquired on a third generation dual-source computed tomography system and reconstructed with a slice thickness of 0.5 mm. The standardized multi-planar reconstruction LAA occluder view for post-implantation evaluation (LOVE) algorithm was used to assess PDL in relation to LAA morphology and implanted LAAC devices. A total of 49 patients (median age 80 years, 24% female) were included consecutively. Overall PDL rate was 31%. Leak rates among different left atrial appendage morphologies varied largely. Windsock type had the highest incidence of PDL (47%). AMPLATZER™ AMULET™ device type revealed slightly higher PDL rates than WATCHMAN™ type and showed larger leaks. However, no statistical differences were found. PDL can be sized best in LOVE sagittal views, whereas a synopsis of LOVE sagittal, axial and coronal views allows further examination and detection of small leaks. PDL are common after successful interventional LAAC, which can be accurately detected and sized by standardized cCTA imaging protocols.

Background Local recurrence (LR) of retroperitoneal soft tissue sarcoma (RPS) is a common and life-threatening event. The evaluation of the exact anatomical patterns of local recurrence might help to improve local treatment in RPS. Methods Of our local database we extracted ten patients with LR of RPS with axial MRI and/or CT datasets of the primary tumor (PT) and the LR. Using the Osirix DICOM viewer Version v.3.9.4 64-bit (Pixmeo, Geneva, Switzerland) we performed a three-step fusion algorithm consisting of: a) 3-point co-registration of the axial datasets depicting the PT and the LR using three abdominal landmarks b) re-orientation of the datasets and c) image fusion. We evaluated the feasibility of this technique with regard to categorizing the localization of LR as within or distant from the PT. Results Fusion imaging was feasible in seven out of ten patients. In the other three patients anatomical shifting of organs after surgery led to a relevant mismatch of anatomical landmarks and impeded interpretation of the fused images. In five of seven patients with successful fusion imaging, local recurrences were located within the anatomical borders of the primary tumor, in two out of seven patients local recurrences were distant to the primary. Conclusions Fusion imaging of primary tumors and local recurrences is feasible in most patients with RPS. Most local recurrences occurred within the anatomical localization of the primary tumor. For further investigations validation of the technique in larger patient cohorts is required.

Purpose The importance of spirometry for management of COPD was reduced in the 2017 revision of the GOLD report. CT derived airway measurements show strong correlations with lung function tests and symptoms. However, these correlations are specific to the airway localization, and currently there is no evidence for the ideal spot. Therefore, the aim of this prospective study was to systematically correlate CT derived airway measurements with extensive lung function testing. Methods and materials 65 patients with diagnosed COPD underwent body plethysmography, impulse oscillometry and dose optimized qCT examination (Somatom Force, Healthineers, Germany) in inspiration and expiration. Eight airway parameters (e.g. outer diameter, maximal wall thickness) were acquired for both scans in every lobe for the third to fifth generation bronchus and correlated with the lung function tests. Results The most significant correlations between airway parameters were found for the third generation bronchus of the upper left lobe during expiration (25 out of 48 correlation pairs, mean r = −0.39) and for the third generation bronchus of the upper right lobe during inspiration (9 out of 48 correlation pairs, mean r = −0.25). No significant correlations were for example found for the upper right lobe in expiration. Conclusion Correlations between airway parameters and lung function tests vary widely between lobes, bronchus generations and breathing states. Our work suggests that the third generation bronchus of the upper left lobe in expiration could be the preferred localization for airway quantification in future studies.

To compare in patients with known peripheral artery occlusive disease (PAOD), image quality of a combined CTA to a combined MRA protocol, including both static and dynamic acquisitions. Twenty-two patients with PAOD were examined with a combined CTA and MRA protocol consisting of static acquisitions (s-CTA, s-MRA) of the entire runoff and dynamic acquisitions (d-CTA, d-MRA) of the calves. Two radiologists compared image quality of the s-MRA versus s-CTA as well as d-MRA versus d-CTA. Image quality was assessed on a segmental basis using a 4-point Likert scale. For s-CTA, 76% of segments were rated as excellent or good. For s-MRA, 50% of segments were rated as excellent or good (p

To prospectively evaluate the feasibility of single contrast bolus high-pitch CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) subsequently followed by low-dose retrospectively ECG-gated cardiac CT (4D-cCT) in patients with suspected pulmonary embolism (PE) to accurately evaluate right ventricular (RV) function. 62 patients (33 female, age 65.1 ± 17.5 years) underwent high-pitch CTPA examination with 80cc of iodinated contrast material. 5 s after the end of the high-pitch CTPA study, a low-dose retrospectively ECG-gated cardiac CT examination was automatically started. The volume CT dose index (CTDI vol) and dose length product (DLP) were recorded in all patients and the effective dose was calculated. For the assessment of image quality, attenuation was measured as Hounsfield units (HUs) within various regions of interest (ROIs). These ROIs were used to calculate the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). Subjective image quality was assessed using a five-point Likert scale. On 4D-cCT, the ejection fraction of both ventricles (RVEF, LVEF) as well as the ratio of RVEF and LVEF (RVEF/LVEF) was assessed. The statistical difference of all parameters between the PE and non-PE group was calculated. The mean effective radiation dose was 4.22 ± 2.05 mSv. Attenuation measurements on CTPA showed the highest attenuation values in the main pulmonary artery (442.01 ± 187.64). On 4D-cCT attenuation values were highest in the descending aorta (560.59 ± 208.81). The CNR and SNR values on CTPA were highest within the main pulmonary artery (CNR = 12.43 ± 4.57; SNR = 15.14 ± 4.90). On 4D-cCT images, the highest SNR and CNR could be measured in the descending aorta (CNR = 10.26 ± 5.57; SNR = 10.86 ± 5.17). The mean LVEF was 60.73 %± 14.65 %, and the mean RVEF was 44.90 %± 9.54 %. The mean RVEF/LVEF was 0.79 ± 0.29. There was no significant difference between the PE and non-PE group for either of the parameters. The investigated combined CTPA and 4D-cCT protocol is feasible using a single contrast bolus and allows the evaluation of RV function in patients with suspected PE. Further studies have to evaluate the additional value of this protocol regarding risk stratification in patients with PE. · High-pitch CTPA is fast enough to leave sufficient contrast material within the heart that can be used for an additional low-dose functional cardiac CT examination.. · The tube current of the evaluated 4D-cCT is reduced over the entire cardiac cycle without any full dose peak.. · Low-dose cardiac CT subsequently performed after high-pitch CTPA allows for detailed analysis of RV function..· Schäfer JC, Haubenreisser H, Meyer M et al. Feasibility of a Single Contrast Bolus High-Pitch Pulmonary CT Angiography Protocol Followed by Low-Dose Retrospectively ECG-Gated Cardiac CT in Patients with Suspected Pulmonary Embolism. Fortschr Röntgenstr 2018; 190: 542 - 550. Ziel dieser Studie war die Evaluierung eines high pitch CT Pulmonalis-Angiografie (CTPA) Untersuchungsprotokolls mit unmittelbar folgender niedrigdosis retrospektiv EKG getriggerter Herz CT Spirale unter Verwendung eines einzigen Kontrastmittel (KM) Bolus bei Patienten mit Verdacht auf eine akute Lungenembolie (LE) zur detaillierten Analyse der rechtsventrikulären Funktion. 62 Patienten (33 weiblich, 65,1 ± 17,5 Jahre) mit Verdacht auf eine akute LE erhielten eine high pitch CTPA gefolgt von einer retrospektiv EKG getriggerten Herz CT Spirale mit reduziertem Röhrenstrom während des gesamten Herzzyklus (4D-cCT). Insgesamt wurde lediglich ein KM Bolus von 80 ml verwendet. Volume CT Dose Index (CTDI vol) und Dosis-Längen-Produkt (DLP) wurden bei allen Patienten registriert und die effektive Dosis berechnet. Zur Beurteilung der Bildqualität wurden an relevanten Stellen Regions-of-Interest (ROIs) plaziert. Anschließend wurden Signal-zu-Rausch Verhältnis (SNR) und Kontrast-zu-Rausch Verhältnis (CNR) berechnet. Die subjektive Bildqualität wurde mittels einer 5-Punkte Likert Skala ermittelt. In der 4D-cCT wurde die Ejektionsfraktion beider Ventrikel (RVEF, LVEF) bestimmt und deren Quotient (RVEF/LVEF) berechnet. Diese Parameter wurden zwischen der LE- und Nicht-LE-Gruppe verglichen. Die mittlere effektive Dosis lag bei 4,22 ± 2,05 mSv. Die höchsten Dichtewerte in der CTPA wurden im Truncus pulmonalis gemessen (442,01 ± 187,64), in der 4D-cCT in der Aorta descendens (560,59 ± 208,81). Analog dazu zeigten sich in der CTPA im Truncus pulmonalis (CNR = 12,43 ± 4,57; SNR = 15,14 ± 4,90) und in der 4D-cCT in der deszendierenden Aorta (CNR = 10,26 ± 5,57; SNR = 10,86 ± 5,17) das höchste CNR und SNR. Die LVEF lag bei 60,73 %± 14,65 %, die RVEF bei 44,90 %± 9,54 %. Der RVEF/LVEF Quotient lag bei 0,79 ± 0,29. Es zeigte sich für keinen Parameter ein signifikanter Unterschied zwischen der LE- und Nicht-LE-Gruppe. Das vorgestellte CT Protokoll ermöglicht die Evaluation der RV Funktion bei Patienten mit akuter LE. Das Ziel künftiger Studien sollte der Vergleich zwischen EKG-synchronisierten und nicht synchronisierten Messungen sein im Hinblick auf einen potentiellen Mehrwert für die Risikostratifizierung von Patienten mit akuter LE. · Die CTPA kann durch den hohen Pitchfaktor so schnell durchgeführt werden, dass ausreichend KM im Herzen verbleibt um dieses für die zusätzliche Herzfunktionsuntersuchung zu verwenden.. · Der Röhrenstrom wird bei der 4D-cCT während des gesamten Herzzyklus reduziert ohne Applikation des vollen Röhrenstroms zu einem bestimmten Zeitpunkt.. · Das durchgeführte Niedrigdosis Herz CT Protokoll erlaubt eine detaillierte Analyse der RV Funktion..

Background This study evaluates the association between high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) and T (hs-cTnT) and coronary calcium concentration (CAC) detected by coronary computed tomography (CCT) and evaluated with the Agatston score in patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods Patients undergoing CCT during routine clinical care were enrolled prospectively. CCT was indicated for patients with a low to intermediate pretest probability for CAD. Within 24 h of CCT examination, peripheral blood samples were taken to measure cardiac biomarkers hs-cTnI and hs-cTnT. Results A total of 76 patients were enrolled including 38% without detectable CAC, 36% with an Agatston score from 1 to 100, 17% from 101 to 400, and 9% with values ≥ 400. hs-cTnI was increasing alongside Agatston score and was able to differentiate between different groups of Agatston scores. Both hs-cTn discriminated values greater than 100 (hs-cTnI, AUC = 0.663; p = 0.032; hs-cTnT, AUC = 0.650; p = 0.048). In univariate and multivariate logistic regression models, hs-cTnT and hs-cTnI were significantly associated with increased Agatston scores. Patients with hs-cTnT ≥ 0.02 µg/l and hs-cTnI ≥ 5.5 ng/l were more likely to reveal values ≥ 400 (hs-cTnT; OR = 13.4; 95% CI 1.545–116.233; p = 0.019; hs-cTnI; OR = 8.8; 95% CI 1.183–65.475; p = 0.034). Conclusion The present study shows that the Agatston score was significantly correlated with hs cardiac troponins, both in univariable and multivariable linear regression models. Hs-cTnI is able to discriminate between different Agatston values. The present results might reveal potential cut-off values for hs cardiac troponins regarding different Agatston values. Trial registration Cardiovascular Imaging and Biomarker Analyses (CIBER), NCT03074253 https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/record/NCT03074253

Differences in coronary artery calcium (CAC) quantification of successive CT systems of one vendor could impact results of CAC screening and progression studies. The purpose of this study is to compare CAC quantification between three generations of dual-source computed tomography (DSCT) systems.Three DSCT generations were used to repeatedly scan an anthropomorphic chest phantom and three inserts. The first and second insert contained 100 small and nine large calcifications, respectively, to determine detectability, and the Agatston and (calibrated) mass score, respectively. A third insert containing a moving artificial coronary artery was used to determine impact of movement on calcium scoring. Data were acquired at 120 kVp, 90 reference mAs with prospective electrocardiographic(ECG)-gating at sequential and high-pitch spiral mode, for respectively first and second/third generation DSCT. Differences and variability in detectability and calcium scores were analyzed.Although noise levels differed (p=0.002), no differences in detectability were found between the three DSCT generations; median (range) for first, second and third generation were 11 (8), 11 (4) and 12 (2) out of 100 calcifications (p 0.272). Between second and third generation no difference was found in Agatston score for the large calcification phantom (p 0.05). The intra-scanner variability and inter-scanner median relative difference ranged for Agatston score from 2.1 to 8.3% and 0.5-12.7% and for mass score from 1.4% to 4.4% and 0.7-5.6%. Overall, intra-scanner variability was lowest for third generation DSCT.The three DSCT generations have similar detectability of calcifications. Median Agatston and mass score differed by no more than 12.7% and 5.6%.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this prospective randomized controlled study was to compare 2 techniques for radiation dose reduction in non-contrast-enhanced pediatric chest computed tomography (CT): low peak kilovoltage imaging at 70 kVp and spectral beam shaping at 100 kVp using a dedicated tin filter (100-kVp Sn). MATERIALS AND METHODS All chest CT examinations were performed on a third-generation dual-source CT system (SOMATOM Force; Siemens Healthineers, Germany). Fifty children (mean age, 6.8 ± 5.1 years) were examined using the 100-kVp Sn protocol, whereas 25 children received the 70-kVp protocol (mean age, 5.7 ± 5.2 years; 2:1 randomization scheme). Radiation metrics and organ doses were compared between acquisition techniques using commercially available radiation dose analysis software (Radimetrics Inc, Bayer AG, Toronto, Ontario, Canada). Objective image quality, expressed by signal-to-noise ratio and subjective image quality based on a 4-point scale (1, best; 4, worst image quality), were compared. RESULTS Volume CT dose index and size-specific dose estimate were significantly lower in the 100-kVp Sn group compared with the 70-kVp group (0.19 ± 0.12 mGy vs 0.81 ± 0.70 mGy and 0.34 ± 0.13 mGy vs 1.48 ± 1.11 mGy; P < 0.0001 for both). Accordingly, mean effective dose was significantly lower for the 100-kVp Sn examinations (0.21 ± 0.10 mSv) compared with the 70-kVp examinations (0.83 ± 0.49 mSv; P < 0.0001). Calculated organ doses were also significantly lower using the 100-kVp Sn protocol when compared with the 70-kVp protocol; for example, breast dose was reduced by a factor of 4.3. Signal-to-noise ratio was slightly superior for 70-kVp images while lung image quality of the 100-kVp Sn protocol was preferred in subjective analysis (P = 0.0004). CONCLUSIONS Pediatric chest CT performed at 100 kVp with an additional tin filter for spectral shaping significantly reduces radiation dose when compared with low peak kilovoltage imaging at 70 kVp and therefore should be preferred in non-contrast-enhanced pediatric chest CT examinations, particularly (given the improved subjective image quality) when the main focus is evaluation of the lung parenchyma.

Purpose Minimizing radiation dose while at the same time preserving image quality is of particular importance in pediatric chest CT. Very recently, CT imaging with a tube voltage of 70 kVp has become clinically available. However, image noise is inversely proportional to the tube voltage. We aimed to investigate radiation dose and image quality of pediatric chest CT performed at 70 kVp in an anthropomorphic pediatric phantom as well as in clinical patients. Methods and Materials An anthropomorphic pediatric phantom, which resembles a one-year-old child in physiognomy, was scanned on the 3 rd generation dual-source CT (DSCT) system at 70 kVp and 80 kVp and a fixed ultra low tube-current of 8 mAs to solely evaluate the impact of lowering tube voltage. After the phantom measurements, 18 pediatric patients (mean 29.5 months; range 1-91 months; 21 examinations) underwent 3.2 high-pitch chest CT on the same DSCT system at 70 kVp tube voltage without any sedation. Radiation dose and presence of motion artifacts was compared to a retrospectively identified patient cohort examined at 80 kVp on a 16-slice single-source-CT (SSCT; n = 15; 14/15 with sedation; mean 30.7 months; range 0-96 months; pitch = 1.5) or on a 2 nd generation DSCT without any sedation (n = 6; mean 32.8 months; range 4-61 months; pitch = 3.2). Results Radiation dose in the phantom scans was reduced by approximately 40% when using a tube voltage of 70 kVp instead of 80 kVp. In the pediatric patient group examined at 70 kVp age-specific effective dose (ED; mean 0.5 ± 0.2 mSv) was significantly lower when compared to the retrospective cohort scanned at 80 kVp on the 16-slice-SSCT (mean ED: 1.0 ± 0.3 mSv; p nd generation DSCT (mean ED: 0.9 ± 0.5 mSv). None of the prospective, sedation-free CT examinations showed any motion artifacts whereas 13/15 examinations of the retrospective patient cohort scanned at 80 kVp with a pitch of 1.5 showed motion artifacts. Conclusion 3.2 high-pitch chest CT performed with 70 kVp significantly reduces radiation dose when compared to 80 kVp while at the same time provides good image quality without any motion artifacts even without sedation.

ObjectiveTo compare the performance of an 18-gauge nonfenestrated catheter (18-NFC) with a 22-gauge fenestrated catheter (22-FC) for cardiac CT angiography (CCTA) in patients with suspected coronary heart disease.Subjects and methods74 consecutive patients imaged on a 2nd generation dual-source CT with arterial phase CCTA were included in this retrospective investigation to either an 18-NFC or 22-FC. In comparison to the 18-NFC, the 22-FC has three additional perforations for contrast agent dispersal proximal to the tip. We examined the two groups for differences in their average attenuation in the right and left ventricles (RV, LV) and in the atrium (RA, LA) as well as in the proximal right coronary artery (RCA) and the left main coronary artery (LM). The averages were calculated for both the 18-NFC and 22-FC.ResultsCatheters were successfully placed on the first attempt 97% (36/37) for 18-NFC and 95% (35/37) for the 22-FC. The following enhancement levels were measured: 22-FC (in Hounsfield-Units (HU)): RV = 203±29, LV = 523±36, RA = 198±29, LA = 519±38, RCA = 547±26, LM = 562±25; 18-NFC: RV = 146±26, LV = 464±32, RA = 141±24, LA = 438±35, RCA = 501±23, LM = 523±23; RV (p = 0,03), LV (p = 0.12), RA (p = 0.02), LA (p = 0.04), RCA (p = 0.3), LM (p = 0.33).ConclusionNo significant differences in attenuation levels as well as in image quality of the coronary arteries were found between NFC and FC. Nevertheless, the 22-gauge FC examinations showed significantly higher attenuation in the left and right atrium as well as the right ventricle. Patients with poor venous access may benefit from a smaller gauge catheter that can deliver sufficiently high flow rates for CCTA.

Fractional flow reserve based on coronary CT angiography (CT-FFR) is gaining importance for non-invasive hemodynamic assessment of coronary artery disease (CAD). We evaluated the on-site CT-FFR with a machine learning algorithm (CT-FFRML) for the detection of hemodynamically significant coronary artery stenosis in comparison to the invasive reference standard of instantaneous wave free ratio (iFR®). This study evaluated patients with CAD who had a clinically indicated coronary computed tomography angiography (cCTA) and underwent invasive coronary angiography (ICA) with iFR®-measurements. Standard cCTA studies were acquired with third-generation dual-source computed tomography and analyzed with on-site prototype CT-FFRML software. We enrolled 40 patients (73% males, mean age 67 ± 12 years) who had iFR®-measurement and CT-FFRML calculation. The mean calculation time of CT-FFRML values was 11 ± 2 min. The CT-FFRML algorithm showed, on per-patient and per-lesion level, respectively, a sensitivity of 92% (95% CI 64–99%) and 87% (95% CI 59–98%), a specificity of 96% (95% CI 81–99%) and 95% (95% CI 84–99%), a positive predictive value of 92% (95% CI 64–99%), and 87% (95% CI 59–98%), and a negative predictive value of 96% (95% CI 81–99%) and 95% (95% CI 84–99%). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for CT-FFRML on per-lesion level was 0.97 (95% CI 0.91–1.00). Per lesion, the Pearson’s correlation between the CT-FFRML and iFR® showed a strong correlation of r = 0.82 (p

Objectives To assess the occurrence of transient interruption of contrast (TIC) phenomenon in pulmonary computed tomography angiography (CTPA) exams performed in inspiratory breath-hold after patients were told to inspire gently. Methods In this retrospective single-centre study, CTPA exams of 225 consecutive patients scanned on a 16-slice CT scanner system were analysed. A-priori to measurements, exams were screened for inadequate pulmonary artery contrast due to incorrect bolus tracking or failure of i.v. contrast administration. Those exams were excluded. Attenuation values in the thoracic aorta and in the pulmonary trunk were assessed in duplicate measurements (M1 and M2) and the aorto-pulmonary density ratio was calculated. An aorto-pulmonary ratio > 1 with still contrast inflow being visible within the superior vena cava was defined as TIC. Results 3 patients were excluded due to incorrect bolus tracking. Final analysis was performed in 222 patients (mean age 65 ± 19 years, range 18 to 99 years). Mean density in the pulmonary trunk was 275±17 HU, in the aorta 208 ± 15 HU. Mean aorto-pulmonary ratio was 0.81± 0.29. 48 patients (21.6%) had an aorto-pulmonary ratio >1. Correlation of mean aorto-pulmonary ratio and age was: -0.213 (p = 0.001). Age was not significantly different for an aorto-pulmonary ratio >1 vs. ≤1 (p = 0.122). Both in M1 and M2, 33/222 patients presented with absolute HU values of < 200 HU within the pulmonary artery. In M1 measurements, 24 of these 33 patients (72%) fulfilled TIC criteria (M2: 25/33 patients (75%)). Conclusions TIC is a common phenomenon in CTPA studies with inspiratory breath-hold commands after patients were told to inspire gently with an incidence of 22% in our retrospective cohort. Occurrence of TIC shows a significant negative correlation with increasing age and disproportionately often occurs in patients with lower absolute contrast density values within their pulmonary arteries., PLoS ONE, 14 (1), ISSN:1932-6203

Background Although left atrial appendage (LAA) anatomy and topographic relations are well understood, little is known about the impairment of neighboring structures (NBS) by an implanted left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) device. This prospective longitudinal observational study for the first time describes distances of implanted LAA closure (LAAC) devices to NBS using a standardized imaging protocol of cardiac computed tomography angiography (cCTA). Hypothesis cCTA imaging is an eligible tool for post-implantation evaluation of LAAC devices and their relation to neighboring structures. Methods cCTA data sets of consecutive patients 6 months after successful LAAC were acquired on a third generation dual-source CT system and reconstructed with a slice thickness of 0.5 mm. The standardized multi-planar reconstruction LAA occluder view for post-implantation evaluation (LOVE) algorithm was used to measure the distances to NBS in relation to LAA morphology and implanted LAAC devices. Results A total of 48 patients (median age 80 years, 25% female) were included. Left upper pulmonary vein and circumflex artery were generally closest to occlusion devices (median 2.9 and 2.8 mm, respectively). AMPLATZER AMULET devices were closer to the mitral valve annulus than WATCHMAN devices (6.6 mm (inter quartile range [IQR] 4.9-8.6) vs 10.9 mm (IQR 7.4-14.0), P = 0.001). Distances to the left upper pulmonary vein were affected by LAA morphology, with cauliflower type having the closest proximity (1.7 mm [IQR 1.0-3.4], P = 0.048). Conclusion A standardized cCTA imaging protocol is an eligible tool to accurately measure distances to NBS. Left upper pulmonary vein and circumflex artery are closest to LAAC devices and could thus be most prone to impairment.

As stated by the Fleischner Society, an additional computed tomography (CT) scan in expiration is beneficial in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It was thus the aim of this study to evaluate the radiation risk of a state-of-the-art paired inspiratory-expiratory chest scan compared to inspiration-only examinations. Radiation doses to 28 organs were determined for 824 COPD patients undergoing routine chest examinations at three different CT systems–a conventional multi-slice CT (MSCT), a 2nd generation (2nd-DSCT), and 3rd generation dual-source CT (3rd-DSCT). Patients examined at the 3rd-DSCT received a paired inspiratory-expiratory scan. Organ doses, effective doses, and lifetime attributable cancer risks (LAR) were calculated. All organ and effective doses were significantly lower for the paired inspiratory-expiratory protocol (effective doses: 4.3 ± 1.5 mSv (MSCT), 3.0 ± 1.2 mSv (2nd-DSCT), and 2.0 ± 0.8 mSv (3rd-DSCT)). Accordingly, LAR was lowest for the paired protocol with an estimate of 0.025 % and 0.013% for female and male patients (50 years) respectively. Image quality was not compromised. Paired inspiratory-expiratory scans can be acquired on 3rd-DSCT systems at substantially lower dose and risk levels when compared to inspiration-only scans at conventional CT systems, offering promising prospects for improved COPD diagnosis.

Objectives The aim of this study was to establish quantitative CT (qCT) parameters for pathophysiological understanding and clinical use in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The most promising parameter is introduced. Materials and methods 28 intubated patients with ARDS obtained a conventional CT scan in end-expiratory breathhold within the first 48 hours after admission to intensive care unit (ICU). Following manual segmentation, 137 volume- and lung weight-associated qCT parameters were correlated with 71 clinical parameters such as blood gases, applied ventilation pressures, pulse contour cardiac output measurements and established status and prognosis scores (SOFA, SAPS II). Results Of all examined qCT parameters, excess lung weight (ELW), i.e. the difference between a patient’s current lung weight and the virtual lung weight of a healthy person at the same height, displayed the most significant results. ELW correlated significantly with the amount of inflated lung tissue [%] (p2/FiO2) or any other clinical parameter it correlated with the patients’ mean SOFA- (p Conclusions ELW could serve as a non-invasive method to quantify the amount of pulmonary oedema. It might serve as an early radiological marker of severity in patients with ARDS.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate a 2-dimensional real-time CINE TrueFISP magnetic resonance sequence using sparse data sampling with iterative reconstruction (SSIR) for right ventricular (RV) volumetry in comparison to the criterion standard (CS) acquired at 3 T. MATERIALS AND METHODS Ten healthy controls and 20 consecutive patients scheduled for cardiac magnetic resonance imaging on a 3-T system (Magnetom Skyra; Siemens Healthcare Sector, Germany) underwent undersampled SSIR sequences with a single breath-hold (BH) as well as with shallow free breathing (NBH) and a fully sampled multi-BH sequence as CS. Right ventricular volumetry was performed with dedicated cardiac magnetic resonance software (cvi42; Circle Cardiovascular Imaging Inc, Calgary, Alberta, Canada). Agreement of SSIR with and without BH and CS for RV functional parameters (end-systolic volume [RVESV], end-diastolic volume [RVEDV], stroke volume [RVSV], and ejection fraction [RVEF]) were assessed with Bland-Altman analysis and paired t test. RESULTS Analysis of the 30 individuals (19 male; 48 ± 14 years) revealed no significant differences when comparing CS and BH measurements for RVEDV (153.7 vs 153.6 mL, P = 0.96), RVESV (71.6 vs 72.1 mL, P = 0.78), RVSV (82.0 vs 81.6 mL, P = 0.65), and RVEF (54.9% vs 54.2%, P = 0.19). Similar results were shown when comparing CS and NBH measurements for RVEDV (153.7 vs 152.2 mL, P = 0.34), RVESV (71.6 vs 72.8 mL, P = 0.30), RVSV (82.0 vs 81.0 mL, P = 0.46), and RVEF (54.9 vs 54.4, P = 0.48). Time taken for acquisition was 350 seconds for the CS, 34 seconds for BH, and 25 seconds for NBH measurements. Additional time required for iterative reconstruction was 2 minutes and 30 seconds for the sparse sampled data sets. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate that accurate RV volumetry with SSIR data at 3 T is feasible in clinical routine within 25 seconds even without BH, which is of particular importance in patients with dyspnea.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to systematically compare organ-specific-radiation dose levels between a radiation dose optimized perfusion CT (dVPCT) protocol of the liver and a tri-phasic standard CT protocol of the liver using a Monte-Carlo-Simulation-based analysis platform. Methods and materials: The complete CT data of 52 patients (41 males; mean age 65 ± 12) with suspected HCC that underwent dVPCT examinations on a 3rd generation dual-source CT (Somatom Force, Siemens) with a dose optimized tube voltage of 70 kVp or 80 kVp were exported to an analysis platform (Radimetrics, Bayer). The dVPCT studies were matched with a reference group of 50 patients (35 males; mean age 65 ± 14) that underwent standard tri-phasic CT (sCT) examinations of the liver with 130 kVp using the calculated water-equivalent-diameter of the patients. The analysis platform was used for the calculation of the organ-specific effective dose (ED) as well as global radiation-dose parameters (ICRP103). Results: The organ-specific ED of the dVPCT protocol was statistically significantly lower when compared to the sCT in 14 of 21, and noninferior in a total of 18 of 21 examined items (all p

Highlights • Superiority of spiral versus sequential cCT in image quality and organ-specific-radiation dose. • Spiral cCT: lower organ-specific-radiation-dose in eye lense compared to tilted sequential cCT. • State-of-the-art IR spiral cCT techniques has significant advantages over sequential cCT techniques., Objectives To prospectively evaluate image quality and organ-specific-radiation dose of spiral cranial CT (cCT) combined with automated tube current modulation (ATCM) and iterative image reconstruction (IR) in comparison to sequential tilted cCT reconstructed with filtered back projection (FBP) without ATCM. Methods 31 patients with a previous performed tilted non-contrast enhanced sequential cCT aquisition on a 4-slice CT system with only FBP reconstruction and no ATCM were prospectively enrolled in this study for a clinical indicated cCT scan. All spiral cCT examinations were performed on a 3rd generation dual-source CT system using ATCM in z-axis direction. Images were reconstructed using both, FBP and IR (level 1–5). A Monte-Carlo-simulation-based analysis was used to compare organ-specific-radiation dose. Subjective image quality for various anatomic structures was evaluated using a 4-point Likert-scale and objective image quality was evaluated by comparing signal-to-noise ratios (SNR). Results Spiral cCT led to a significantly lower (p

Nowadays, CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) is the diagnostic imaging modality of choice for acute and chronic pulmonary embolism (PE) in order to assess vascular anatomy and parenchymal morphology. Over the past decade, several prognostic CTPA markers associated with an increased risk of adverse clinical events and in-hospital mortality have been evaluated, namely cardiac chamber dimensions, obstruction scores, and visualization of iodinated contrast material in the lung parenchyma by dual-energy (DE) CTPA. This article reviews the current status and potential prognostic advantages of CTPA or DE CTPA with its recent developments for accessing right ventricular dysfunction and the assessment of first pass lung perfusion with DE CTPA in the diagnosis of acute and chronic PE.

CT angiography is the current clinical standard for the imaging many vascular illnesses. This is traditionally done with a single arterial contrast phase. However, advances in CT technology allow for a dynamic acquisition of the contrast bolus, thus adding temporal information to the examination. The aim of this article is to highlight the clinical possibilities of dynamic CTA using 2 examples. The accuracy of the detection and quantification of stenosis in patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease, especially in stadium III and IV, is significantly improved when performing dynamic CTA examinations. The post-interventional follow-up of examinations of EVAR benefit from dynamic information, allowing for a higher sensitivity and specificity, as well as allowing more accurate classification of potential endoleaks. The described radiation dose for these dynamic examinations is low, but this can be further optimized by using lower tube voltages. There are a multitude of applications for dynamic CTA that need to be further explored in future studies.

Purpose The study aimed to compare morphological and anatomic plaque markers derived from coronary computed tomography angiography (cCTA) for the detection of lesion specific ischemia with invasive instantaneous wave free ratio (iFR®) as the reference standard. Methods In our prospective study, we enrolled patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD), who had undergone cCTA, using a low-dose third-generation dual-source CT and invasive coronary angiography (ICA) with iFR® measurement. Various plaque markers were assessed on cCTA. Discriminatory power of these markers for the detection of ischemia-inducing coronary artery disease was evaluated against invasive iFR®. Results Our study cohort included 39 patients (66.6 ± 12.0 years, 72 % male). Among 54 vessel-specific lesions, 15 lesions (28 %) were characterized as hemodynamically significant by iFR® ≤0.89. The area under the curve (AUC) of lesion length/ minimal luminal diameter4 (LL/MLD4) (0.84) was greater than the AUC of minimal luminal area (MLA) (0.82), MLD (0.81), the degree of luminal diameter stenosis (0.81), corrected coronary opacification (CCO) (0.79), remodeling index (RI) (0.75), and percentage aggregate plaque volume (%APV) (0.72). LL, vessel volume (VV), total plaque volume (TPV), calcified and non-calcified plaque volume (CPV and NCPV) did not reach statistical significance and were unable to discriminate between vessels with and without ischemia-inducing coronary stenosis. Conclusion LL/MLD4, MLA, MLD, the degree of luminal diameter stenosis, CCO, RI, and %APV derived from cCTA can support the detection of hemodynamically significant coronary stenosis as compared with iFR®, with LL/MLD4 showing the greatest discriminatory power.

Background: BAL is an important diagnostic method. The percentage of fluid extracted after instillation (recovery rate) has implications for following diagnostic tests. However, no reliable preprocedural predictors for a good recovery rate have been established. Therefore, we compared quantified airway parameters from CT with recovery rates to find possible predictive markers. Methods: Recovery rates and patient characteristics were retrospectively acquired from 33 routine procedures. Parenchyma and airway parameters were quantified in preprocedural CT. The bronchial tree was measured in five generations, acquiring eight airway parameters. Results: Significant correlations between airway parameters and recovery rate were found for CT parameters of the 3rd or 4th generation bronchus with highest values for percentage wall area (WA%, r=0.56; p 50%) and poor ( Conclusions: Quantified CT parameters, most notably WA% and bronchoscope diameter to inner bronchus diameter, have the potential to identify the ideal location and bronchoscope size for optimal BAL recovery rates in advance, warranting prospective evaluation.

Recent advances in image quality of coronary computed tomographic angiography (cCTA) have enabled improved characterization of coronary plaques. Thus, we investigated the association between quantitative morphological plaque markers obtained by cCTA and serum lipid levels in patients with suspected or known coronary artery disease.We retrospectively analyzed data of 119 statin-naive patients (55±14 y, 66% men) who underwent clinically indicated cCTA between January 2013 and February 2017. Patients were subdivided into a plaque and a no-plaque group. Quantitative and morphologic plaque markers, such as segment involvement score, segment stenosis score, remodeling index, napkin-ring sign, total plaque volume, calcified plaque volume, and noncalcified plaque volume (NCPV) and plaque composition, were analyzed using a semiautomated plaque software prototype. Total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein/high-density lipoprotein ratio, and triglycerides were determine in both groups.Higher age (61±11 y vs. 52±14 y, P0.0001) and a higher likelihood of male gender (77% vs. 56%, P0.0001) were observed in the plaque group. Differences in lipid levels were neither observed for differentiation between plaque presence or absence, nor after subcategorization for plaque composition. LDL serum levels160 mg/dL correlated with higher NCPV compared with patients with LDL between 100 and 160 mg/dL (112 vs. 27 mm, P=0.037). Other markers were comparable between the different groups.Statin-naive patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease did not show differences in lipid levels related to plaque composition by cCTA. Patients with plaques tended to be men and were significantly older. High LDL levels correlated with high NCPV.

Dynamic CT angiography provides much more information compared to static 3D CT angiography, in several clinical applications. The prolonged exposure, on the other hand, results in higher radiation dose for to the patient. Care should be taken when designing noise reduction algorithms so that temporal profiles and spatial resolution is not significantly compromised. In particular, in deep inferior epigastric perforators (DIEP) flap studies, the temporal enhancement of small abdominal subcutaneous and intramuscular vessels needs to be evaluated from the surgeons to plan breast reconstruction. We propose a new approach to exploit the data redundancy in the temporal direction and successfully reduce noise via singular value decomposition. The similarity of voxels temporal profiles is then measured on the noise-reduced dataset and a spatial smoothing is performed with an additional edge-preserving weight coming from the noise-reduced tMIP. We named our filter the singular value decomposition guided similarity (SVGS) filter, and compared it to the TIPS (time-intensity profile similarity) filtered data and to the highly constrained filtered backprojection (HYPR) processed data. This institutional review board-approved study included 17 DIEP flap clinical cases, that were retrospectively processed with HYPR, TIPS and SVGS and then compared both qualitatively and quantitatively. Contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) was used for quantitative evaluation, while a blinded subjective evaluation was performed by an experienced radiologist. We reported significantly improved results with the SVGS filter when compared to the other approaches, both in terms of CNR, as well as with the subjective clinical evaluation. The results over 17 clinical cases suggest that a potential dose reduction of a factor of 9 could be achieved, while preserving the same image quality. In conclusion, we developed an efficient algorithm for dynamic CT angiographic data processing, which successfully enables a reduction of spatial and temporal noise, while preserving and enhancing the visualization of small vessels. We demonstrated the clinical usefulness of the SVGS for the DIEP flap application. The proposed algorithm can be employed to significantly improve image quality and diagnostic acceptability at same dose level or alternatively to reduce radiation dose, to which extent needs to be evaluated in future studies.

To compare in patients with untreated rectal cancer quantitative perfusion parameters calculated from 3rd-generation dual-source dynamic volume perfusion CT (dVPCT) with 3-Tesla-MR-perfusion with regard to data variability and tumour differentiation. In MR-perfusion, plasma flow (PF), plasma volume (PV) and mean transit time (MTT) were assessed in two measurements (M1 and M2) by the same reader. In dVPCT, blood flow (BF), blood volume (BV), MTT and permeability (PERM) were assessed respectively. CT dose values were calculated. 20 patients (60 ± 13 years) were analysed. Intra-individual and intra-reader variability of duplicate MR-perfusion measurements was higher compared to duplicate dVPCT measurements. dVPCT-derived BF, BV and PERM could differentiate between tumour and normal rectal wall (significance level for M1 and M2, respectively, regarding BF: p rd-generation dual-source CT dVPCT could be included in a standard CT-staging without exceeding national dose reference values.

Adverse effects of intravenous contrast media (CM) in patients with renal risk factors and acute kidney injury are still controversially discussed. The aim of this study was to investigate whether dual-energy (DE) pulmonary CT angiography (CTPA) in combination with a noise optimized virtual monoenergetic imaging algorithm allows for a reduction of CM. This IRB-approved study comprised 150 patients with suspected pulmonary embolism (78 male; mean age 65 ± 17years). 50 patients with acute/chronic renal failure were examined on a 3rd generation dual-source CT with an optimized DE CTPA protocol and a low CM injection protocol (5.4 g iodine). 100 further patients were either examined with a standard CTPA protocol or a standard DE CTPA (32 g iodine). For the DE CTPA virtual monoenergetic spectral datasets (40–100 keV) were reconstructed. Main pulmonary arteries at 50 keV and peripheral pulmonary arteries at 40 keV datasets provided the highest contrast-to-noise-ratio (CNR) for both the standard DE CTPA and the optimized protocol, with significantly higher CNR values for the standard DE CTPA protocol (p

Background/Aim: To evaluate the hypothesis that patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) assessed using rest dual-energy computed tomography-derived myocardial perfusion imaging (DECT-P), could have fewer invasive coronary angiographies (ICA), showing non-obstructive CAD. Materials and Methods: Patients who had undergone coronary computed tomography angiography (cCTA), rest DECT-P and ICA were analyzed. Results: We evaluated 51 patients (62.7% males, mean age 51.6±12.8 years). Rest DECT-P identified perfusion defects in three (10.7%) of the 28 patients with cCTA negative for luminal stenosis and in 10 (43.5%) of the 23 patients with cCTA positive for luminal stenosis. In total, 21 patients underwent both cCTA and ICA, of which seven (33.3%) showed obstructive CAD. Rest DECT-P revealed false-negative results in four cases (19.1%) and false-positive results in six cases (28.6%). Conclusion: Adding rest DECT-P to cCTA has no incremental diagnostic value over cCTA alone, to exclude haemodynamically significant CAD. Therefore, a rest-stress-DECT-P protocol or a CT-based FFR calculation might be a promising concept to improve diagnostic accuracy in a real clinical setting.

To compare in patients with untreated rectal cancer quantitative perfusion parameters calculated from 3rd-generation dual-source dynamic volume perfusion CT (dVPCT) with 3-Tesla-MR-perfusion with regard to data variability and tumour differentiation. In MR-perfusion, plasma flow (PF), plasma volume (PV) and mean transit time (MTT) were assessed in two measurements (M1 and M2) by the same reader. In dVPCT, blood flow (BF), blood volume (BV), MTT and permeability (PERM) were assessed respectively. CT dose values were calculated. 20 patients (60 ± 13 years) were analysed. Intra-individual and intra-reader variability of duplicate MR-perfusion measurements was higher compared to duplicate dVPCT measurements. dVPCT-derived BF, BV and PERM could differentiate between tumour and normal rectal wall (significance level for M1 and M2, respectively, regarding BF: p

Rationale and Objectives: Despite ongoing technical refinements, coronary computed tomography angiography (cCTA) remains challenging in its diagnostic value by electrocardiographic (ECG) misregistration and motion artifacts, which commonly occur in patients with atrial fibrillation and high or irregular heart rates. The aim of this study was to evaluate the radiation dose and the number of inconclusive coronary segments at cCTA using retrospective ECG gating at 100 and 70 kV.Materials and Methods: With institutional review board approval, 154 patients (median age 54 years, 98 men) with high or irregular heart rate prospectively underwent retrospectively ECG-gated cCTA without tube current modulation on a third-generation dual-source computed tomography (DSCT) system at 70 kV (n = 103) or on a second-generation DSCT system at 100 kV (n = 51). Images were reconstructed in best diastolic phase (BDP), best systolic phase (BSP), and in all phases (APs) at 10% intervals across the R-R cycle. Objective and subjective image qualities were evaluated as well as the presence of motion artifacts with the three different reconstruction approaches.Results: The mean heart rate was 93 +/- 16 bpm. The mean effective radiation dose was 4.5 mSv for 70 kV compared to 8.4 mSv for 100 kV (P Conclusions: Retrospectively ECG-gated cCTA at 70 kV results in 52% decreased radiation dose. Further using the AP algorithm allowed for diagnostic evaluation of all coronary segments for stenosis, in contrast to BDP or BSP phase alone.

To prospectively evaluate radiation dose and image quality of a third generation dual-source CT (DSCT) without z-axis filter behind the patient for temporal bone CT. Forty-five patients were either examined on a first, second, or third generation DSCT in an ultra-high-resolution (UHR) temporal bone-imaging mode. On the third generation DSCT system, the tighter focal spot of 0.2 mm2 removesthe necessity for an additional z-axis-filter, leading to an improved z-axis radiation dose efficiency. Images of 0.4 mm were reconstructed using standard filtered-back-projection or iterative reconstruction (IR) technique for previous generations of DSCT and a novel IR algorithm for the third generation DSCT. Radiation dose and image quality were compared between the three DSCT systems. The statistically significantly highest subjective and objective image quality was evaluated for the third generation DSCT when compared to the first or second generation DSCT systems (all p

To prospectively compare image quality of cranial computed tomography (CCT) examinations with varying slice widths using traditional filtered back projection (FBP) versus sinogram-affirmed iterative image reconstruction (SAFIRE).29 consecutive patients (14 men, mean age: 72 ± 17 years) referred for a total of 40 CCT studies were prospectively included. Each CCT raw data set was reconstructed with FBP and SAFIRE at 5 slice widths (1-5mm; 1mm increments). Objective image quality was assessed in three predefined regions of the brain (white matter, thalamus, cerebellum) using identical regions of interest (ROIs). Subjective image quality was assessed by 2 experienced radiologists. Objective and subjective image quality parameters were statistically compared between FBP and SAFIRE reconstructions.SAFIRE reconstructions resulted in mean noise reductions of 43.8% in the white matter, 45.6% in the thalamus and 42.0% in the cerebellum (p0.01) compared to FBP on non contrast-enhanced 1mm slice width images. Corresponding mean noise reductions on 1mm contrast-enhanced studies were 45.7%, 47.3%, and 45.0% in the white matter, thalamus, and cerebellum, respectively (p0.01). There was no significant difference in mean attenuation of any region or slice width between the two reconstruction methods (all p0.05). Subjective image quality of IR images was mostly rated higher than that of the FBP images.Compared to FBP, SAFIRE provides significant reductions in image noise while increasing subjective image in CCT, particularly when thinner slices are used. Therefore, SAFIRE may allow utilization of thinner slices in CCT, potentially reducing partial volume effects and improving diagnostic accuracy.

High vessel attenuation and high contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) are prerequisites for high diagnostic confidence in CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA). This study evaluated the impact of calculated monoenergetic dual-energy (DE) CTPA datasets on vessel attenuation and CNR.50 Patients (24 men, mean age 68 ± 14 years) who underwent DE-CTPA were retrospectively included in this study. The 80 and 140-kV DE polyenergetic image data were used to calculate virtual monoenergetic image datasets in 10 kiloelectron volt (keV) increments from 40 to 120 keV. Vessel and soft tissue attenuation and image noise were measured in various regions of interest and the CNR was subsequently calculated. Differences in vessel attenuation and CNR were compared between the different monoenergetic datasets. The best monoenergetic dataset was then compared to the standard 120-kV polyenergetic dataset.Vessel attenuation and CNR of 70-keV CTPA datasets were superior to all other monoenergetic image datasets (all p0.05). 70-keV monoenergetic datasets provided a statistically significant 12% increase in mean vessel attenuation compared to standard 120-kV polyenergetic datasets (384 ± 117 HU vs. 342 ± 106 HU, respectively; p0.0001) and a statistically significant 18% increase in mean CNR (29 ± 13 vs. 24 ± 11 respectively; p0.0001).Virtual 70-keV monoenergetic CTPA image datasets significantly increase vessel attenuation and CNR of DE-CTPA studies, suggesting that clinical application of low-keV monoenergetic reconstructions may allow a decrease in the amount of iodinated contrast required for adequate image quality in DE-CTPA examinations.

To generate a patient-friendly, time-efficient cardiac MRI examination protocol, a highly accelerated real-time CINE MR sequence (SSIR) was acquired in the idle time in between contrast injection and late gadolinium enhancement phase. 20 consecutive patients underwent a cardiac MRI examination including a multi-breath-hold sequence as gold standard (Ref) as well as SSIR sequences with (SSIR-BH) and without breath-hold (SSIR-nonBH). SSIR sequences were acquired 4 minutes after gadolinium injection. Right- (RV) and left-ventricular (LV) volumetric functional parameters were evaluated and compared between Ref and SSIR sequences. Despite reduced contrast between myocardium and intra-ventricular blood, volumetric as well as regional wall movement assessment revealed high agreement between both SSIR sequences and Ref. Excellent correlation and narrow limits of agreements were found for both SSIR-BH and SSIR-nonBH when compared to Ref for both LV (mean LV ejection fraction [EF] Ref: 52.8 ± 12.6%, SSIR-BH 52.3 ± 12.9%, SSIR-nonBH 52.5 ± 12.6%) and RV (mean RV EF Ref: 52.7 ± 9.4%, SSIR-BH 52.0 ± 8.1%, SSIR-nonBH 52.2 ± 9.3%) analyses. Even when acquired in the idle time in between gadolinium injection and LGE acquisition, the highly accelerated SSIR sequence delivers accurate volumetric and regional wall movement information. It thus seems ideal for very time-efficient and robust cardiac MR imaging protocols.

To prospectively monitor changes in tumor perfusion of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in response to doxorubicin-eluted bead based transarterial chemoembolization (DEB-TACE) using perfusion-CT (P-CT).24 patients (54-79 years) undergoing P-CT before and shortly after DEB-TACE of HCC were prospectively included in this dual-center study. Two readers determined arterial-liver-perfusion (ALP, mL/min/100mL), portal-venous-perfusion (PLP, mL/min/100mL) and the hepatic-perfusion-index (HPI, %) by placing matched regions-of-interests within each HCC before and after DEB-TACE. Imaging follow-up was used to determine treatment response and to distinguish complete from incomplete responders. Performance of P-CT for prediction and early response assessment was determined using receiver-operating-characteristics curve analysis.Interreader agreement was fair to excellent (ICC, 0.716-0.942). PLP before DEB-TACE was significantly higher in pre-treated vs non-treated lesions (P0.05). Mean changes of ALP, PLP and HPI from before to after DEB-TACE were -55%, +24% and -27%. ALP and HPI after DEB-TACE were correlating with response-grades (r=0.45/0.48; both, p0.04), showing an area-under-the-curve (AUC) of 0.74 and 0.80 respectively for identification of complete response.High arterial and low portal-venous perfusion of HCC early after DEB-TACE indicates incomplete response with good diagnostic accuracy.