Dear AuntMinnie Member,
The arrival of multislice CT has radically changed the landscape of virtual colonoscopy, enabling providers to conduct quicker, more sensitive exams -- but with potentially higher radiation doses as well.
With more and more protocol choices available, is there a "best" mix of settings for performing virtual colonoscopy with MDCT? A group of German researchers set out to answer that question, according to an article we're featuring in our Virtual Colonoscopy Digital Community.
The group conducted phantom studies with a variety of detector collimation settings, tube voltages, dose-per-section ratings, section widths and reconstruction intervals. They found that changing one variable can produce benefits in some areas of the exam, while creating potential problems in other areas.
With the right combination of settings, they found that virtual colonoscopy providers can cut the radiation dose significantly without affecting image quality. You'll find the secrets to their success in our Virtual Colonoscopy Digital Community, at vc.auntminnie.com.
