Radiation Dose Reduction in Cervical Spine Computed Tomography in Cervical Spine Trauma: Comparison of Low-dose with Standard-dose Multidetector Computed Tomography

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KY Man, KM Mo, HT Sung, KY Cho, CW Tam

Hong Kong J Radiol 2019;22:180-7

https://doi.org/10.12809/hkjr1916922

Objective: To evaluate radiation dose reduction, and any effect on image quality, in low-dose cervical spine multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) in patients with cervical spine trauma.
Methods: A total of 54 consecutive patients from July 2016 to May 2017 underwent cervical spine MDCT: a standard-dose group (group A, n = 18, pitch = 0.641), a low-dose group with an increased pitch (group B, n = 18, pitch = 0.828), and a low-dose group with an increased pitch and low-dose auto mA quality factor (group C, n = 18, pitch = 0.828, quality factor standard deviation 15). Radiation dosimetry was recorded and image quality was assessed by evaluation of image noise, signal-to-noise ratio, and contrast-to-noise ratio in bone algorithm images, and by subjective assessment by two independent radiologists.
Results: The mean volume CT dose indices were 70.7 mGy, 48.3 mGy, and 32.6 mGy for groups A, B, and C, respectively. The mean dose-length products were 859.9 mGycm, 590.1 mGycm, and 453.9 mGycm for groups A, B, and C, respectively. These differences in mean volume CT dose indices and dose-length product were statistically significant among the three groups (post-hoc Tukey: both p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in image quality (analysis of variance/Kruskal-Wallis test: all p > 0.05) or subjective evaluation of image quality (Chi squared test: all p > 0.05) among the three examination groups.
Conclusion: Low-dose cervical spine MDCT in patients with cervical spine trauma resulted in a substantial 47.2% to 53.9% dose reduction, compared with standard-dose MDCT.

 

Author affiliation(s):
KY Man, KM Mo, HT Sung, KY Cho, CW Tam: Department of Radiology, Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital, Chai Wan, Hong Kong

 

中文摘要

 

頸椎外傷多探頭電腦斷層掃描的輻射劑量的減少:比較低劑量與標準多探頭電腦斷層掃描

文家潤、巫冠文、宋咸東、曹君彥、譚枝慧

 

目的:評估頸椎低劑量多探頭電腦斷層掃描對輻射劑量的減少及圖像質量的影響。
方法:比較54名於2016年7月至2017年5月期間接受頸椎多探頭電腦斷層掃描患者的輻射劑量和圖像質量(A組18例,標準劑量,CT螺距因子0.641;B組18例,低劑量及大螺距,CT螺距因子0.828;C組18例,大螺距低劑量mA自動調節,CT螺距因子0.828,質量因子標準差15)。記錄輻射劑量,並由兩位放射科醫師的獨立主觀評價來評估骨算法圖像質量,包括圖像噪聲、信噪比和噪聲比。
結果:三組的平均容積CT劑量指數分別為:A組70.7 mGy、B組48.3 mGy、C組32.6 mGy,差異顯著(p < 0.001)。三組的圖像質量相比均沒有顯著差異。
結論:與標準多探頭電腦斷層掃描相比,頸椎低劑量多探頭電腦斷層掃描的輻射劑量顯著降低(47.2%至53.9%)。