CT-Urography study protocol: Split-Bolus technique

Abstract

CTU represents the natural technical and instrumental evolution of urography. The multidetector technology, withthe possibility of retro-reconstruction of the images, has allowed the direct representation of the excretory tract witha significant reduction in acquisition times, decreasing motion artifacts and increasing the definition of the processedimages. Split-Bolus CT dynamic study allows us to obtain, in a single image acquisition, both the nephrographic andthe renal excretory phases; at the same time, we can obtain information of the parenchymal organs in the abdominalcavity as in the portal/nephrographic phase of a standard CT protocol. The main advantage of Split-Bolus CTUis undoubtedly the significant saving of the radiation dose administered to the patient, related to the reduction inthe number of phases acquired, with a reported diagnostic efficacy comparable to traditional protocols in terms ofimaging quality. The Split Bolus technique has been used in several clinical contexts, such as in the characterizationof focal liver lesions, in acute pulmonary embolism and in polytrauma patients.