Energía dual y angioTC de carótidas: calidad, eliminación de hueso y dosis de radiación de 80/140 kV frente a 100/140 kV

Abstract

ObjectiveTo study the differences in vascular image quality, bone subtraction, and dose of radiation of dual energy CT angiography of the supraaortic trunks using different tube voltages. Material and methodsWe reviewed the CT angiograms of the supraaortic trunks in 46 patients acquired with a 128-slice dual source CT scanner using two voltage protocols (80/140kV and 100/140kV). The “head bone removal” tool was used for postprocessing. We divided the arteries into 15 segments. In each segment, we evaluated the image quality of the vessels and the effectiveness of bone removal in multiplanar reconstructions (MPR) and in maximum intensity projections (MIP) with each protocol, analyzing the trabecular and cortical bones separately. We also evaluated the dose of radiation received. ResultsOf the 46 patients, 13 were studied using 80/140kV and 33 with 100/140kV. There were no significant differences between the two groups in age or sex. Image quality in four segments was better in the group examined with 100/140kV. Cortical bone removal in MPR and MIP and trabecular bone removal in MIP were also better in the group examined with 100/140kV. The dose of radiation received was significantly higher in the group examined with 100/140kV (1.16 mSv with 80/140kV vs. 1.59 mSv with 100/140kV). ConclusionUsing 100/140kV increases the dose of radiation but improves the quality of the study of arterial segments and bone subtraction.