GE Healthcare is touting a French study in which an abdominal CT scanning protocol used less radiation dose and less contrast agent. Results were presented at the European Congress of Radiology (ECR) in Vienna.
The combination of advanced CT reconstruction techniques (GE's adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction [ASIR] or Veo CT dose reduction software) and isosmolar contrast agent (Visipaque at 270 or 320 mgI/mL) achieved equivalent or better contrast enhancement and enhanced diagnostic images compared to iomeprol (400 mgI/mL) injected at the same volume and rate.
Dr. Jean-Louis Sablayrolles, chief of the CT and MRI department of the Centre Cardiologique du Nord in St. Denis, presented the findings at ECR.
Sablayrolles and colleagues examined patients who underwent abdominal CT scans (Discover CT750 HD, GE Healthcare) at 80, 100, or 120 kVp after the injection of isosmolar or iomeprol contrast agent to obtain arterial and portal phase data. Acquisition parameters were set according to a patient's body mass index. In both settings, projection data were reconstructed with filter back projection and two types of iterative reconstruction (ASIR-50% and Veo).
The researchers found that contrast enhancement with iomeprol at 400 mgI/mL was not superior to that of Visipaque at 320 mgI/mL when used in conjunction with ASIR and Veo. In addition, reconstructions using both techniques improved overall image quality of parenchyma, edges, interfaces, and vascular structures.
