Vascular Applications of Dual-Energy Computed Tomography.

Dual- or multi-energy CT imaging provides several advantages over conventional CT in the context of vascular imaging. Specific advantages include the use of low-energy virtual monoenergetic images (VMIs) to boost iodine attenuation to salvage suboptimal enhanced studies, perform low-contrast material dose studies, and increase conspicuity of small vessels and lesions. Alternatively, high-energy VMIs reduce artifacts caused by some metals, endoprosthesis, calcium blooming, and beam hardening. Virtual non-contrast (VNC) images reduce radiation dose by eliminating the need for a true non-contrast acquisition in multiphasic CT studies. Iodine maps can be used to evaluate perfusion of tissues and lesions.