Comparison of post contrast CT urography phases in bladder cancer detection

• Published in: European radiology Vol. 26; no. 2; pp. 585 - 591
• Main Authors: Helenius, Malin, Dahlman, Par, Lonnemark, Maria, Brekkan, Einar, Wernroth, Lisa, Magnusson, Anders
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.02.2016; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Bladder cancer; Contrast Media; Diagnostic Radiology; Female; Humans; Imaging; Internal Medicine; Interventional Radiology; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Neuroradiology; Radiographic Image Enhancement; Radiologi; Radiology; Reproducibility of Results; Sensitivity and Specificity; Tomography, X-Ray Computed - methods; Ultrasound; Urinary Bladder - diagnostic imaging; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Urogenital; Haematuria; Early detection of cancer; Urinary bladder neoplasms; Urography; Multidetector computed tomography
• ISSN: 0938-7994; 1432-1084; 1432-1084
• DOI: 10.1007/s00330-015-3844-7

Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate which post-contrast phase(s) in a four-phase CT urography protocol is (are) most suitable for bladder cancer detection. Methods The medical records of 106 patients with visible haematuria who underwent a CT urography examination, including unenhanced, enhancement-triggered corticomedullary (CMP), nephrographic (NP) and excretory (EP) phases, were reviewed. The post-contrast phases (n = 318 different phases) were randomized into an evaluation order and blindly reviewed by two uroradiologists. Results Twenty-one patients were diagnosed with bladder cancer. Sensitivity for bladder cancer detection was 0.95 in CMP, 0.83 in NP and 0.81 in EP. Negative predictive value (NPV) was 0.99 in CMP, 0.96 in NP and 0.95 in EP. The sensitivity was higher in CMP than in both NP (p-value 0.016) and EP (p-value 0.0003). NPV was higher in CMP than in NP (p-value 0.024) and EP (p-value 0.002). Conclusions In the CT urography protocol with enhancement-triggered scan, sensitivity and NPV were highest in the corticomedullary phase, and this phase should be used for bladder assessment. Key Points • More bladder tumours are detected during the corticomedullary phase than during other phases . • Sensitivity and NPV for bladder cancer detection were highest in corticomedullary phase . • The corticomedullary phase in CT urography should be used for bladder assessment .