Accuracy of dual-energy computed tomography for the measurement of iodine concentration using cardiac CT protocols: validation in a phantom model.

PURPOSE: To assess the accuracy of dual-energy CT (DECT) for the quantification of iodine concentrations in a thoracic phantom across various cardiac DECT protocols and simulated patient sizes.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Experiments were performed on first- and second-generation dual-source CT (DSCT) systems in DECT mode using various cardiac DECT protocols. An anthropomorphic thoracic phantom was equipped with tubular inserts containing known iodine concentrations (0-20 mg/mL) in the cardiac chamber and up to two fat-equivalent rings to simulate different patient sizes. DECT-derived iodine concentrations were measured using dedicated software and compared to true concentrations. General linear regression models were used to identify predictors of measurement accuracy
RESULTS: Correlation between measured and true iodine concentrations (n = 72) across CT systems and protocols was excellent (R = 0.994-0.997, P < 0.0001). Mean measurement errors were 3.0 ± 7.0% and -2.9 ± 3.8% for first- and second-generation DSCT, respectively. This error increased with simulated patient size. The second-generation DSCT showed the most stable measurements across a wide range of iodine concentrations and simulated patient sizes.
CONCLUSION: Overall, DECT provides accurate measurements of iodine concentrations across cardiac CT protocols, strengthening the case for DECT-derived blood volume estimates as a surrogate of myocardial blood supply. KEY POINTS: • Dual-energy CT provides new opportunities for quantitative assessment in cardiac imaging. • DECT can quantify myocardial iodine as a surrogate for myocardial perfusion. • DECT measurements of iodine concentrations are overall very accurate. • The accuracy of such measurements decreases as patient size increases.