Disparities in radiation doses from CT scans in different countries.
The amount of radiation used to perform CT scans varies considerably around the world and automated radiation-tracking software would help update existing references, according to a study published in the American Journal of Roentgenology.
Researchers from Switzerland and the United States sought to compare diagnostic reference levels from a local European CT dose registry with preexisting European and North American diagnostic reference levels.
Using radiation-tracking software, the researchers looked at data from 43,761 CT scans (means, medians, and interquartile ranges of volumetric CT dose index [CTDIvol] dose-length product [DLP], size-specific dose estimate, and effective dose values) obtained over the course of two years from eight CT scanners at six institutions.
The scans included examinations of the following:
• Head
• Paranasal sinuses
• Thorax
• Pulmonary angiogram
• Abdomen-pelvis
• Renal-colic
• Thorax-abdomen-pelvis
• Thoracoabdominal angiogram
The metrics from the registry were compared with diagnostic reference levels from Canada and California (published in 2015), the ACR dose index registry (2015), and national diagnostic reference levels from local CT dose registries in Switzerland (2010), the United Kingdom (2011), and Portugal (2015).
The results showed that the local registry had a lower 75th percentile CTDIvol for all protocols than did the individual internationally sourced data. Compared with their study, the ACR dose index registry had higher 75th percentile CTDIvol values by:
• 55% for head
• 240% for thorax
• 28% for abdomen-pelvis
• 42% for thorax-abdomen-pelvis
• 128% for pulmonary angiogram
• 138% for renal-colic
• 58% for paranasal sinus studies
The researchers concluded they had lower diagnostic reference level values than did existing European and North American diagnostic reference levels.
“Automated radiation-tracking software could be used to establish and update existing diagnostic reference levels because they are capable of analyzing large datasets meaningfully,” they wrote.
Can Polyenergetic Reconstruction Help Resolve Streak Artifacts in Photon Counting CT?
July 22nd 2024New research looking at photon-counting computed tomography (PCCT) demonstrated significantly reduced variation and tracheal air density attenuation with polyenergetic reconstruction in contrast to monoenergetic reconstruction on chest CT.
Systematic Review: PET/MRI May be More Advantageous than PET/CT in Cancer Imaging
July 18th 2024While PET/MRI and PET/CT had comparable sensitivity for patient-level regional nodal metastases and lesion-level recurrence, the authors of a systematic review noted that PET/MRI had significantly higher accuracy in breast cancer and colorectal cancer staging.
FDA Clears Enhanced Mobile CT System with High-Resolution Photon-Counting Technology
July 15th 2024Photon-counting CT-optimized features with the OmniTom Elite system include 30 cm field of view scanning, continuous spiral scanning, and an ultra-high-resolution capability of 0.141 mm resolution.