Effect of Contrast Timing, Volume, and Flow Rate on Image Quality of Pulmonary Arteries in CTA

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

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Abstract

Purpose To evaluate the effect of contrast timing, contrast volume, and contrast flow rate on the image quality of pulmonary arteries in computed tomography angiography (CTA) and to assess if bolus-tracking region of interest (ROI) positioning in the left atrium, which is used for triple-rule-out CTA, allows for sufficient depiction of the pulmonary arteries. Methods In this retrospective single-center study, data were collected for patients who underwent thoracic CTA during a specific period. Two groups of 121 patients each were created based on bolus-tracking ROI positioning in the main pulmonary artery or left atrium using propensity score matching. Image quality of the pulmonary arteries was evaluated using quantitative and qualitative scores. Subgroups were formed to examine the influence of contrast volume and flow rate. Two radiologists determined if pulmonary embolism was present, if pulmonary embolism could be excluded with certainty, and from which level pulmonary embolism could be excluded with certainty. Interrater reliability also was evaluated. Results ROI positioning in the main pulmonary artery scored significantly higher compared with the left atrium. There was no significant difference in subgroups of patients who were examined with 60 mL or more contrast volume and less than 4 mL/s flow rate; scores were similar or better than in the overall study population. Pulmonary embolism was not able to be excluded with certainty for each 1 patient in these subgroups compared with a high percentage in the overall study population. Discussion ROI positioning in the left atrium in combination with the 60 mL or more contrast volume and less than 4 mL/s flow rate does not adversely affect depiction of the pulmonary arteries compared with conventional ROI positioning in the main pulmonary artery. Conclusion When using 60 mL or more contrast volume and less than 4 mL/s flow rate, ROI positioning in the left atrium, which is used in triple-rule-out CTA, is sufficient for the assessment of pulmonary arteries.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)105-114
Number of pages10
JournalRadiologic Technology
Volume95
Issue number2
Publication statusPublished - Nov 2023
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMed 37940175
ORCID /0000-0001-5061-9643/work/148606538

Keywords

Keywords

  • computed tomography angiography, propensity score, pulmonary artery, pulmonary embolism, signalnoise ratio, Reproducibility of Results, Contrast Media, Pulmonary Artery/diagnostic imaging, Humans, Retrospective Studies, Computed Tomography Angiography, Pulmonary Embolism/diagnostic imaging

Library keywords