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Determination of lowest possible contrast volume in computed tomography pulmonary angiography by using pulmonary transit time

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Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of the modified test-bolus (mTB) method in computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA).

Materials and methods

The Institutional Review Board approved this retrospective study. We reviewed 24 patients (nine men, 15 women; age range, 21–88 years) in whom CTPA was performed either by Bolus-Tracking (BT) (n = 12) or mTB (n = 12) methods. Pulmonary transit time (PTT) was used to determine scan delay time and contrast volume in the mTB group. The contrast volume, radiation dose, quantitative measures, and qualitative scores of enhancement were compared. The chi-squared test, Mann–Whitney U test, and κ statistics were used. The significance level was 0.05.

Results

The effective dose (P = 0.028) and contrast volume (P < 0.001) was significantly lower in the mTB group than those in the BT group. The difference in the quantitative measures and qualitative scores of enhancement between groups was statistically insignificant (P = 0.729, P = 0.635, respectively). Significantly fewer artefacts were observed in the mTB group (P = 0.024).

Conclusion

By taking into account PTT, mTB appears to be a promising method for tailoring CTPA to the patient with the use of less contrast material and resulting in fewer artifacts.

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Abbreviations

BT:

Bolus-tracking

CT:

Computed tomography

CTDI:

Computed tomography dose index

CTPA:

Computed tomography pulmonary angiography

DLP:

Dose-length product

ED:

Effective dose

mTB:

Modified test-bolus

PTT:

Pulmonary transit time

ROI:

Region of interest

t cont :

Contrast delivery time

TCPaorta :

Time of contrast peak in the aorta

TCPpulm :

Time of contrast peak in the pulmonary trunk

t delay :

Scan delay time

TB:

Test-bolus

t scan :

Scanning time

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Acknowledgments

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. The local institutional review board (Gazi University Institutional Review Board: 2012, Ref. No: 360) approved this retrospective study.

Conflict of interest

We declare that we have no actual or potential conflicts of interest in relation to this article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Gazi University, Besevler/Ankara, 06510, Turkey

    Koray Kilic, Gonca Erbas, Murat Ucar, Koray Akkan, Nil Tokgoz, Mehmet Arac & Sedat Isik

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  1. Koray Kilic
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  2. Gonca Erbas
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Correspondence to Koray Kilic.

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Kilic, K., Erbas, G., Ucar, M. et al. Determination of lowest possible contrast volume in computed tomography pulmonary angiography by using pulmonary transit time. Jpn J Radiol 32, 90–97 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11604-013-0274-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11604-013-0274-9

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