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Paediatric cardiac CT examinations: impact of the iterative reconstruction method ASIR on image quality – preliminary findings

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Abstract

Background

Radiation dose exposure is of particular concern in children due to the possible harmful effects of ionizing radiation. The adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASIR) method is a promising new technique that reduces image noise and produces better overall image quality compared with routine-dose contrast-enhanced methods.

Objective

To assess the benefits of ASIR on the diagnostic image quality in paediatric cardiac CT examinations.

Materials and methods

Four paediatric radiologists based at two major hospitals evaluated ten low-dose paediatric cardiac examinations (80 kVp, CTDIvol 4.8-7.9 mGy, DLP 37.1-178.9 mGy·cm). The average age of the cohort studied was 2.6 years (range 1 day to 7 years). Acquisitions were performed on a 64-MDCT scanner. All images were reconstructed at various ASIR percentages (0–100%). For each examination, radiologists scored 19 anatomical structures using the relative visual grading analysis method. To estimate the potential for dose reduction, acquisitions were also performed on a Catphan phantom and a paediatric phantom.

Results

The best image quality for all clinical images was obtained with 20% and 40% ASIR (p < 0.001) whereas with ASIR above 50%, image quality significantly decreased (p < 0.001). With 100% ASIR, a strong noise-free appearance of the structures reduced image conspicuity. A potential for dose reduction of about 36% is predicted for a 2- to 3-year-old child when using 40% ASIR rather than the standard filtered back-projection method.

Conclusion

Reconstruction including 20% to 40% ASIR slightly improved the conspicuity of various paediatric cardiac structures in newborns and children with respect to conventional reconstruction (filtered back-projection) alone.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank GE Healthcare and especially Christophe Argaud and Paul Ayestaran for their assistance in image reconstruction; Christel Elandoy and Martine Bernasconi for their help with image acquisitions and for providing the machine time required to perform the study, and Leonor Alamo, Elodie Senggen and Rafael Duran for their participation in this study.

This research was supported by a Swiss National Science Foundation grant [no. 320030-120382].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Radiation Physics, University Hospital Center and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Frédéric A. Miéville, François O. Bochud & Francis R. Verdun

  2. Department of Radiology, University Hospital Center and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland

    François Gudinchet & Elena Rizzo

  3. Department of Radiology, Necker Children’s Hospital, Paris, France

    Phalla Ou & Francis Brunelle

  4. Institute of Radiation Physics – Medical Radiology, University Hospital Center and University of Lausanne, Grand-Pré 1, Lausanne, 1007, Switzerland

    Frédéric A. Miéville

Authors
  1. Frédéric A. Miéville
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  2. François Gudinchet
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  3. Elena Rizzo
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  4. Phalla Ou
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  5. Francis Brunelle
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  6. François O. Bochud
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  7. Francis R. Verdun
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Correspondence to Frédéric A. Miéville.

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Miéville, F.A., Gudinchet, F., Rizzo, E. et al. Paediatric cardiac CT examinations: impact of the iterative reconstruction method ASIR on image quality – preliminary findings. Pediatr Radiol 41, 1154–1164 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-011-2146-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-011-2146-8

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