Improvement of detectability ureteral cancer by using Dual Energy CT

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24791309
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Radiation science
• Research Institution: Hiroshima University
• Principal Investigator: HONDA Yukiko 広島大学, 大学病院, 病院助教 (60604486)
• Research Collaborator: HIGAKI Toru 広島大学, 大学院医歯薬保健学研究院, 特任助教 (80611334) ; AWAI Kazuo 広島大学, 大学院医歯薬保健学研究院, 教授 (30294573)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: Dual Energy CT / split-bolus 法 / 尿路系腫瘍検出

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Standard CTU includes unenhanced-, nephrographic-, and excretory phase (UP, NP, and EP) scans. With CTU using split bolus injection of contrast media, radiation exposure is reduced because NP and EP images are acquired simultaneously. Combining DECT with split bolus injection may reduce the radiation dose further because virtual UP images can be generated by image processing. However, CTU with split bolus injection results in beam hardening artifacts due to dense iodinated urine in the ureter; this may hide subtle enhancement of the upper urinary tract and small urothelial tumors. Theoretically, on virtual monochromatic (VM) images generated from DECT data these artifacts are reduced. We developed a CTU method that combines split bolus injection and DECT technology and investigated the feasibility of our method in a phantom study.

Free Research Field

Uroradiology