Lukas Lenga1, Marvin Lange1, Christophe T Arendt2, Ibrahim Yel1, Christian Booz1, James Durden3, Doris Leithner2, Thomas J Vogl4, Moritz H Albrecht5, Simon S Martin6. 1. University Hospital Frankfurt, Division of Experimental Imaging, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt, Germany. 2. University Hospital Frankfurt, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt, Germany. 3. Medical University of South Carolina, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, 25 Courtenary Drive, 29401 Charleston, South Carolina. 4. University Hospital Frankfurt, Division of Experimental Imaging, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt, Germany; University Hospital Frankfurt, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt, Germany. 5. University Hospital Frankfurt, Division of Experimental Imaging, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt, Germany. Electronic address: experimentalimaging@gmail.com. 6. University Hospital Frankfurt, Division of Experimental Imaging, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt, Germany. Electronic address: simartin@outlook.com.
Abstract
RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the impact of noise-optimized virtual monoenergetic imaging (VMI) on lesion demarcation and measuring accuracy of hypoattenuating liver metastases in patients with fatty liver disease compared to standard reconstructions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-eight patients (mean age 62.2 ± 7.7 years) with fatty liver disease and hypoattenuating liver metastases who underwent unenhanced and contrast-enhanced portal-venous dual-energy CT (DECT) were enrolled. Standard linearly blended and VMI series were reconstructed in 10-keV intervals. Lesion-to-parenchyma contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) was calculated and the best VMI series was further investigated in a subjective evaluation of overall image quality and lesion demarcation. Size measurements were performed independently by measuring all hypodense lesions (n = 58) twice in a predefined sequence. Inter- and intra-rater agreement was assessed using intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) statistics. RESULTS: The calculated CNR was greatest at 40-keV VMI (4.3 ± 2.6), significantly higher compared to standard reconstructions (2.9 ± 1.9; p < 0.001). Subjective ratings for overall image quality showed no significant difference between the 2 reconstruction techniques (both medians 4; p = 0.147), while lesion margin demarcation was found to be superior for 40-keV VMI (median 5; p ≤ 0.001). Inter- (ICC, 0.98 for 40-keV VMI; ICC, 0.93 for standard reconstruction) and intra-rater (ICC, 0.99 for 40-keV VMI; ICC, 0.94 for standard image series) analysis showed an excellent agreement for lesion measurements in both reconstruction techniques. CONCLUSION: Noise-optimized VMI reconstructions significantly improve contrast and lesion demarcation of hypoattenuating liver metastases in patients with the fatty liver disease compared to standard reconstruction.
RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the impact of noise-optimized virtual monoenergetic imaging (VMI) on lesion demarcation and measuring accuracy of hypoattenuating liver metastases in patients with fatty liver disease compared to standard reconstructions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-eight patients (mean age 62.2 ± 7.7 years) with fatty liver disease and hypoattenuating liver metastases who underwent unenhanced and contrast-enhanced portal-venous dual-energy CT (DECT) were enrolled. Standard linearly blended and VMI series were reconstructed in 10-keV intervals. Lesion-to-parenchyma contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) was calculated and the best VMI series was further investigated in a subjective evaluation of overall image quality and lesion demarcation. Size measurements were performed independently by measuring all hypodense lesions (n = 58) twice in a predefined sequence. Inter- and intra-rater agreement was assessed using intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) statistics. RESULTS: The calculated CNR was greatest at 40-keV VMI (4.3 ± 2.6), significantly higher compared to standard reconstructions (2.9 ± 1.9; p < 0.001). Subjective ratings for overall image quality showed no significant difference between the 2 reconstruction techniques (both medians 4; p = 0.147), while lesion margin demarcation was found to be superior for 40-keV VMI (median 5; p ≤ 0.001). Inter- (ICC, 0.98 for 40-keV VMI; ICC, 0.93 for standard reconstruction) and intra-rater (ICC, 0.99 for 40-keV VMI; ICC, 0.94 for standard image series) analysis showed an excellent agreement for lesion measurements in both reconstruction techniques. CONCLUSION: Noise-optimized VMI reconstructions significantly improve contrast and lesion demarcation of hypoattenuating liver metastases in patients with the fatty liver disease compared to standard reconstruction.
Authors: Stefanie Bette; Josua A Decker; Franziska M Braun; Judith Becker; Mark Haerting; Thomas Haeckel; Michael Gebhard; Franka Risch; Piotr Woźnicki; Christian Scheurig-Muenkler; Thomas J Kroencke; Florian Schwarz Journal: Diagnostics (Basel) Date: 2022-05-14
Authors: Scherwin Mahmoudi; Marvin Lange; Lukas Lenga; Ibrahim Yel; Vitali Koch; Christian Booz; Simon Martin; Simon Bernatz; Thomas Vogl; Moritz Albrecht; Jan-Erik Scholtz Journal: BJR Open Date: 2022-05-10