Low-dose CT makes gains in MSK imaging

A specific low-dose multislice CT protocol can provide clinically useful images of the wrists, taking the trade-off between image quality and low radiation exposure up a notch.

Using cadaver wrist specimens, Dr. Harald Bonel and colleagues at the University of Berne Hospital in Switzerland found one protocol that provided superior image resolution at the expense of bearable artifacts.

The best acquisition and reconstruction protocol featured four-slice scanning, 0.5 mm to 1-mm slice thickness, 2 mm x 0.5-mm collimation, 0.75-sec rotation time, 80 kVp, 100 mAs, and 1.5 or lower pitch.

Even though 3D reconstructions provide a handy presentation format, most imaging workups of the wrists should rely on MRI for characterization of soft tissues, according to the study published in the September American Journal of Roentgenology.