Andrea Steuwe1, Judith Boeven2,3, Lena Cordes2,3, Stefano Draisci3, Johannes Boos2, Silke Grabherr3, Christine Bruguier3, Hannan Dalyanoglu4, Gerald Antoch2, Joel Aissa2. 1. Medical Faculty, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Dusseldorf, D-40225, Dusseldorf, Germany. andrea.steuwe@med.uni-duesseldorf.de. 2. Medical Faculty, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Dusseldorf, D-40225, Dusseldorf, Germany. 3. University Center of Legal Medicine Lausanne-Geneva, University Hospital of Lausanne, Chemin de la Vulliette 4, 1000, Lausanne 25, Switzerland. 4. Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Heinrich-Heine University Hospital, D-40225, Dusseldorf, Germany.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Postmortem multi-detector computed tomography (PMCT) has become an important part in forensic imaging. Modern reconstruction techniques such as iterative reconstruction (IR) are frequently used in postmortem CT angiography (PMCTA). The image quality of PMCTA depends on the strength of IR. For this purpose, we aimed to investigate the impact of different advanced IR levels on the objective and subjective PMCTA image quality. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the coronary arteries of 27 human cadavers undergoing whole-body postmortem CT angiography between July 2017 and March 2018 in a single center. Iterative reconstructions of the coronary arteries were processed in five different level settings (0%; 30%; 50%; 70%; 100%) by using an adaptive statistical IR method. We evaluated the objective (contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR)) and subjective image quality in several anatomical locations. RESULTS: Our results demonstrate that the increasing levels of an IR technique have relevant impact on the image quality in PMCTA scans in forensic postmortem examinations. Higher levels of IR have led to a significant reduction of image noise and therefore to a significant improvement of objective image quality (+ 70%). However, subjective image quality is inferior at higher levels of IR due to plasticized image appearance. CONCLUSION: Objective image quality in PMCTA progressively improves with increasing level of IR with the best CNR at the highest IR level. However, subjective image quality is best at low to medium levels of IR. To obtain a "classic" image appearance with optimal image quality, PMCTAs should be reconstructed at medium levels of IR.
INTRODUCTION: Postmortem multi-detector computed tomography (PMCT) has become an important part in forensic imaging. Modern reconstruction techniques such as iterative reconstruction (IR) are frequently used in postmortem CT angiography (PMCTA). The image quality of PMCTA depends on the strength of IR. For this purpose, we aimed to investigate the impact of different advanced IR levels on the objective and subjective PMCTA image quality. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the coronary arteries of 27 human cadavers undergoing whole-body postmortem CT angiography between July 2017 and March 2018 in a single center. Iterative reconstructions of the coronary arteries were processed in five different level settings (0%; 30%; 50%; 70%; 100%) by using an adaptive statistical IR method. We evaluated the objective (contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR)) and subjective image quality in several anatomical locations. RESULTS: Our results demonstrate that the increasing levels of an IR technique have relevant impact on the image quality in PMCTA scans in forensic postmortem examinations. Higher levels of IR have led to a significant reduction of image noise and therefore to a significant improvement of objective image quality (+ 70%). However, subjective image quality is inferior at higher levels of IR due to plasticized image appearance. CONCLUSION: Objective image quality in PMCTA progressively improves with increasing level of IR with the best CNR at the highest IR level. However, subjective image quality is best at low to medium levels of IR. To obtain a "classic" image appearance with optimal image quality, PMCTAs should be reconstructed at medium levels of IR.
Authors: Silke Grabherr; Francesco Doenz; Beat Steger; Richard Dirnhofer; Alejandro Dominguez; Barbara Sollberger; Erich Gygax; Elena Rizzo; Christine Chevallier; Reto Meuli; Patrice Mangin Journal: Int J Legal Med Date: 2010-11-07 Impact factor: 2.686
Authors: B Morgan; M J Biggs; J Barber; V Raj; J Amoroso; F E Hollingbury; C Robinson; G N Rutty Journal: Int J Legal Med Date: 2012-11-10 Impact factor: 2.686