A preliminary study on dual-source CT low kV scanning of intracranial angiography

Objective To explore the possibility of dual-source CT low kV scanning in intracranial angiography and to expect to reduce the exposed radiation doses logically. Methods Fourty-five patients underwent dual-source CT of intracranial angiography. The data were reconstructed as a weighted average of the 140-and 80-kVp acquisitions, simulating 120-kVp (CT data sets were reconstructed with FBP) and as a pure 80-kVp data set (reconstructed with FBP and iterative reconstruction). The image noise were measured, the signal-to-noise ratio and contrast-to-noise ratio of arteries were calculated , and the image quality was evaluated in each group. Results As compared with the other two groups, the iterative reconstruction data set collected at 80-kVp demonstrated significantly greater SNR and CNR for the intracranial artery (P 0.05). The image quality scores by CT of FBP data set at 80-kVp significantly lower than those in the other two groups (P 0.05). Conclusions 80-kVp intracranial angiography CT protocol with an iterative reconstruction algorithm maintains diagnostic accuracy and image quality as compared with a simulated weighted-average 120-kVp protocol with FBP algorithm.