{"title":"Improving image quality consistency and diagnostic accuracy in lower extremity CT angiography using a split-bolus contrast injection protocol.","authors":"Qian Tian, Shumeng Zhu, Yannan Cheng, Jianying Li, Tingting Qu, Xiaoqian Jia, Le Cao, Lihong Chen, Jianxin Guo","doi":"10.1093/bjr/tqae036","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To evaluate the clinical value of using a split-bolus contrast injection protocol in improving image quality consistency and diagnostic accuracy in lower extremity CT angiography (CTA).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Fifty (mean age, 66 ± 12 years) and 39 (mean age, 66 ± 11 years) patients underwent CTA in the lower extremity arteries using split-bolus and fixed-bolus injection schemes, respectively. The objective and subjective image quality of the 2 groups were compared and the diagnostic efficacy for the degree of vessel stenosis was compared using digital subtraction angiography as the gold standard. A P < .05 was considered statistically significant.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In comparison with the fixed-bolus scheme, the split-bolus scheme greatly improved the consistency of image quality of the low extremities by significantly increasing the arterial enhancement (337.87 ± 64.67HU vs. 254.74 ± 71.58HU, P < .001), signal-to-noise ratio (22.58 ± 11.64 vs. 7.14 ± 1.98, P < .001), and contrast-to-noise ratio (37.21 ± 10.46 vs. 31.10 ± 15.40, P = .041) in the infrapopliteal segment. The subjective image quality was better (P < .001) and the diagnostic accuracy was higher in the split-bolus group than in the fixed-bolus group (96.00% vs. 91.67%, P < .05, for diagnosing >50% stenosis, and 97.00% vs. 89.10%, P < .05, for diagnosing occlusion) for the infrapopliteal segment arteries.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Compared with the fixed-bolus injection scheme, the split-bolus injection scheme improves the image quality consistency and diagnostic accuracy especially for the infrapopliteal segment arteries in lower extremity CTA.</p><p><strong>Advances in knowledge: </strong>(1) The split-bolus injection scheme of CTA of the lower extremity arteries improves the overall image quality, uniformity of contrast enhancement. (2) Compared with the fixed-bolus injection scheme, the split-bolus injection scheme especially improves the infrapopliteal segment arteries image quality and diagnostic efficacy.</p>","PeriodicalId":9306,"journal":{"name":"British Journal of Radiology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.8000,"publicationDate":"2024-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11027256/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"British Journal of Radiology","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1093/bjr/tqae036","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"RADIOLOGY, NUCLEAR MEDICINE & MEDICAL IMAGING","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Objectives: To evaluate the clinical value of using a split-bolus contrast injection protocol in improving image quality consistency and diagnostic accuracy in lower extremity CT angiography (CTA).
Methods: Fifty (mean age, 66 ± 12 years) and 39 (mean age, 66 ± 11 years) patients underwent CTA in the lower extremity arteries using split-bolus and fixed-bolus injection schemes, respectively. The objective and subjective image quality of the 2 groups were compared and the diagnostic efficacy for the degree of vessel stenosis was compared using digital subtraction angiography as the gold standard. A P < .05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: In comparison with the fixed-bolus scheme, the split-bolus scheme greatly improved the consistency of image quality of the low extremities by significantly increasing the arterial enhancement (337.87 ± 64.67HU vs. 254.74 ± 71.58HU, P < .001), signal-to-noise ratio (22.58 ± 11.64 vs. 7.14 ± 1.98, P < .001), and contrast-to-noise ratio (37.21 ± 10.46 vs. 31.10 ± 15.40, P = .041) in the infrapopliteal segment. The subjective image quality was better (P < .001) and the diagnostic accuracy was higher in the split-bolus group than in the fixed-bolus group (96.00% vs. 91.67%, P < .05, for diagnosing >50% stenosis, and 97.00% vs. 89.10%, P < .05, for diagnosing occlusion) for the infrapopliteal segment arteries.
Conclusions: Compared with the fixed-bolus injection scheme, the split-bolus injection scheme improves the image quality consistency and diagnostic accuracy especially for the infrapopliteal segment arteries in lower extremity CTA.
Advances in knowledge: (1) The split-bolus injection scheme of CTA of the lower extremity arteries improves the overall image quality, uniformity of contrast enhancement. (2) Compared with the fixed-bolus injection scheme, the split-bolus injection scheme especially improves the infrapopliteal segment arteries image quality and diagnostic efficacy.
期刊介绍:
BJR is the international research journal of the British Institute of Radiology and is the oldest scientific journal in the field of radiology and related sciences.
Dating back to 1896, BJR’s history is radiology’s history, and the journal has featured some landmark papers such as the first description of Computed Tomography "Computerized transverse axial tomography" by Godfrey Hounsfield in 1973. A valuable historical resource, the complete BJR archive has been digitized from 1896.
Quick Facts:
- 2015 Impact Factor – 1.840
- Receipt to first decision – average of 6 weeks
- Acceptance to online publication – average of 3 weeks
- ISSN: 0007-1285
- eISSN: 1748-880X
Open Access option