Cai W, et al. - The feasibility of iterative model reconstruction (IMR) combined with low tube voltage, low iodine load, and low iodine delivery rate in craniocervical computed tomography angiography (CTA) is examined in this study. The outcome suggests that the IMR combined with 80 kVp and 30 ml of iohexol at a flow rate of 4.5 ml/s for craniocervical CTA can decrease effective dose (ED), iodine load, and iodine delivery rate (IDR) while improving image quality.

Methods

• Total 60 patients were enrolled in this study.
• All the participants were randomly divided into two groups.
• There were 30 patients in each group.
• In this study, group A: 120 kVp, 50 ml of iopromide at a flow rate of 5 ml/s; filtered back projection (FBP) reconstruction; group B: 80 kVp, 30 ml of iohexol at 4.5 ml/s; hybrid iterative reconstruction (HIR) for group B1 and IMR for group B2.
• CT attenuation values, image noise, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), subjective image quality, effective dose (ED), iodine load, and iodine delivery rate (IDR) were compared.

Results

• The current study showed that the CT attenuation values of the arteries were higher in groups B1 and B2 than group A.
• The SNR and CNR were higher, while image noise was lower, for group B2 compared with groups B1 and A.
• The best subjective image quality was obtained with group B2. ED, iodine load, and IDR reduction of 69.6%, 51.4%, 27%, respectively, were obtained in group B compared with group A.