Ultra-Low-Dose Photon-Counting CT Imaging of the Paranasal Sinus With Tin Prefiltration: How Low Can We Go?

In this study, we compared photon-counting detector computed tomography (PCD-CT) and energy-integrating detector computed tomography (EID-CT) for ultra-low-dose paranasal sinus examinations with employed tin prefiltration. The goal of our investigation was to define the most dose-effective scan protocols for diagnostic assessment of midface trauma, preoperative sinonasal anatomy, and acute rhinosinusitis. Materials and Methods Five cadaveric heads were examined with the standard-resolution scan mode of both CT systems using a tube potential of 100 kV and tin prefiltration for 7 dose-equivalent scan protocols (CTDIvol = 4.16–0.15 mGy) and 2 additional ultra-low-dose protocols exclusively feasible on the PCD-CT scanner (0.10 and 0.08 mGy). After applying comparable iterative reconstruction algorithms, image quality was subjectively assessed by 4 radiologists. The intraclass correlation coefficient was calculated to estimate the agreement among readers. Image noise was quantified in standardized regions of interest to establish an additional quantitative criterion of image quality. Results The most dose-effective scan protocols for diagnostic imaging of midface trauma (PCD-CT: 1.24 mGy; EID-CT: 2.05 mGy), preoperative sinonasal anatomy (PCD-CT: 0.20 mGy; EID-CT: 0.40 mGy), and acute rhinosinusitis (PCD-CT: 0.08 mGy; EID-CT: 0.15 mGy) required less radiation exposure on the PCD-CT system (P
Source: Investigative Radiology - Category: Radiology Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research