In vivo radiation dosimetry and image quality of turbo-flash and retrospective dual-source CT coronary angiography

• Published in: Radiologia medica Vol. 125; no. 2; pp. 117 - 127
• Main Authors: Schicchi, Nicolò, Mari, Alberto, Fogante, Marco, Esposto Pirani, Paolo, Agliata, Giacomo, Tosi, Niccolò, Palumbo, Pierpaolo, Cannizzaro, Ester, Bruno, Federico, Splendiani, Alessandra, Di Cesare, Ernesto, Maggi, Stefania, Giovagnoni, Andrea
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Milan Springer Milan 01.02.2020; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Angiography; Cardiac Radiology; Cardiovascular disease; Computed tomography; Computed Tomography Angiography - methods; Contrast Media; Coronary Angiography - methods; Coronary artery disease; Coronary Artery Disease - diagnostic imaging; Correlation; Diagnostic Radiology; Dosimeters; Evaluation; Female; Humans; Image quality; Imaging; In vivo methods and tests; Interventional Radiology; Iopamidol; Male; Medical imaging; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Neuroradiology; Prospective Studies; Quality; Radiation Dosage; Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; Radiology; Thermoluminescent Dosimetry; Thorax; Thyroid gland; Ultrasound; In vivo radiation dose; Estimated radiation dose; Coronary CT; Dual-source CT
• ISSN: 0033-8362; 1826-6983
• DOI: 10.1007/s11547-019-01103-y

Purpose To compare measured radiation dose (MD), estimated radiation dose (ED) and image quality in coronary computed tomography between turbo-flash (TFP) and retrospective protocol (RP) and correlate MD with size-specific dose estimates (SSDE). Materials and methods In this prospective study, we selected 68 patients (mean age, 59.2 ± 9.7 years) undergoing 192 × 2 dual-source CT (SOMATOM Force, Siemens) to rule out coronary artery disease. Thirty-one underwent TFP and 37 RP. To evaluate in vivo MD, thermoluminescent dosimeters were placed, superficially, at thyroid and heart level, left breast areola and left hemi-thorax. MD in each site, and ED parameters, such as volume CT dose index (CTDI vol ), SSDE, dose length product (DLP), effective dose (E), were compared between two protocols with a t test. Image quality was compared between two protocols. Inter-observer agreement was evaluated with a kappa coefficient ( k ). In each protocol, MD was correlated with SSDE using a Pearson coefficient ( r ). Results Comparing TFP and RP, MD at thyroid (1.43 vs. 2.58 mGy; p  = 0.0408), heart (3.58 vs. 28.72 mGy; p  < 0.0001), left breast areola (3.00 vs. 24.21 mGy; p  < 0.0001) and left hemi-thorax (2.68 vs. 24.03 mGy; p  < 0.0001), CTDI vol , SSDE, DLP and E were significantly lower. Differences in image quality were not statistically significant. Inter-observer agreement was good ( k  = 0.796) in TFP and very good ( k  = 0.817) in RP. MD and SSDE excellently correlated with TFP ( r  = 0.9298, p  < 0.0001) and RP ( r  = 0.9753, p  < 0.0001). Conclusions With TFP, MD, CTDI vol , SSDE, DLP and E were significantly lower, than with RP. Image quality was similar between two protocols. MD correlated excellently with SSDE in each protocol.