A Liver Phantom Study: CT Radiation Dose Reduction and Different Image Reconstruction Algorithms Affect Diagnostic Quality

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether iterative reconstruction techniques for different dose levels and/or reduction of tube potential can increase liver lesion detectability. Methods: An anthropomorphic liver phantom was scanned at different dose levels (CTDIvol 15 mGy, 7.5 mGy, 5 mGy, and 2.6 mGy) and tube potential levels (120 kV, 100 kV, and 80 kV). Images were reconstructed with the following algorithms: filtered back projection (FBP), adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASiR) 40%, and a model-based iterative reconstruction (Veo). The presence or absence of lesions was assessed independently on a 4-point scale by 4 readers. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve were calculated. Results: Veo improved detectability of hyperdense liver lesions compared with both FBP and ASiR 40% at most dose levels (15 mGy, 7.5 mGy, and 5 mGy with P
Source: Journal of Computer Assisted Tomography - Category: Radiology Tags: Abdominal Imaging Source Type: research