Low-dose CT of the paranasal sinus and facial skull using a high-pitch dual-source system – First clinical results
Objective
CT of the paranasal sinus is the standard diagnostic tool for a wide range of indications in mostly younger patients. This study aims to assess the image quality of CT of the sinus by using a high-pitch dual-source technique with special regard to the radiation dose.
Methods
Examinations were performed on a second-generation dual-source CT with a pitch factor of 3.0 (dual-source mode). Images were compared with those with a pitch factor of 0.9 on the same system (single-source mode) and with those of 16-slice CT. Image quality was evaluated by four blinded readers using a 5-point scale (1 = poor, 5 = excellent). Comparison of the dose length product (DLP) was used to estimate radiation exposure.
Results
Seventy-three consecutive patients underwent imaging with the proposed CT protocols. The viewers rated the image quality of the dual-source image sets as nearly as good (3.62) as the single-source images on the same device (4.18) and those on 16-slice CT (3.7). DLP was cut to half of the dose [51 mGycm vs. 97.8 mGycm vs. 116.9 mGycm (p < 0.01)].
Conclusions
Using the proposed dual-source mode when examining the paranasal sinus, diagnostic image quality can be achieved while drastically lowering the patient’s radiation exposure.
Full text: Eur Radiol. 2010 Jul 20.
Authors: Schell B, Bauer RW, Lehnert T, Kerl JM, Hambek M, May A, Vogl TJ, Mack MG.
Dear Dr.Kerl,
Can SAFIRE be incorporated in the protocols to reduce dose/improve IQ further?
I mean is there any further scope for improvement with SAFIRE?
Dear Dr. Niraj Garg,
Thank you very much for your comment. At our institution we did not evaluate SAFIRE in our protocols for high-pitch CT of the paranasal sinus. However, I think it is an interesting question and there might be a further scope for improvement with SAFIRE.
Best regards, Matthias Kerl
I appreciate for putting this together! This post “Maxillary Sinus Cancer Symptoms” is obviously one great post. Para Nasal Sinus Cancer is also one of the dangerous diseases. Causes of Para Nasal Sinus Cancer are not yet known, however, certain occupational groups have an increased susceptibility to the disease. People who work in leather and textile mills, nickel refining, those dealing with chromium, radium and isopropyl alcohol are prone to sinus cancer. Nice post, keep going on.
Thank you.