Prediction and reduction of motion artifacts in free-breathing dynamic contrast enhanced CT perfusion imaging of primary and metastatic intrahepatic tumors

• Published in: Academic radiology Vol. 20; no. 4; p. 414
• Main Authors: Jensen, Nikolaj K G, Lock, Michael, Fisher, Barbara, Kozak, Roman, Chen, Xiaogang, Chen, Jeff, Wong, Eugene, Lee, Ting-Yim
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.04.2013
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Blood Flow Velocity; Blood Volume; Breath Holding; Contrast Media; Female; Hepatic Artery; Humans; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Liver Neoplasms - blood supply; Liver Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Liver Neoplasms - secondary; Male; Middle Aged; Movement; Portal Vein; Respiration; Tomography, X-Ray Computed
• ISSN: 1878-4046
• DOI: 10.1016/j.acra.2012.09.027

To develop and evaluate a method for predicting and reducing motion artifacts in free-breathing liver perfusion computed tomography (CT) scanning with couch shuttling and to compare tumor and liver parenchyma perfusion values. Thirty patients (23 males, 7 females, median age of 74 years) with primary or metastatic intrahepatic tumors underwent dynamic contrast enhanced CT scans with axial shuttling. A semiautomatic respiratory motion correction algorithm was applied to align the acquired images along the z-axis. Perfusion maps were generated using the dual-input Johnson-Wilson model. Root mean squared deviation (RMSD) maps of the model fit to the pixel time-density curves were calculated. Precorrection RMSD correlated positively with magnitude of change in functional values resulting from motion. Blood flow, arterial blood flow, and permeability surface product were significantly increased in tumor compared to normal tissue (P < .05), blood volume was significantly reduced in tumor compared to normal tissue (P < .05). In a subgroup of patients with high-amplitude motion significant difference was observed between uncorrected and motion correction blood flow maps. Patients can breathe freely during hepatic perfusion imaging if retrospective motion correction is applied to reduce motion artifacts. RMSD provides a regional assessment of motion induced artifacts in liver perfusion maps.