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. 2021 Nov 3;196(1-2):120-127.
doi: 10.1093/rpd/ncab140.

OPTIMIZATION OF LUNG CT PROTOCOL FOR THE DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATION OF COVID-19 LUNG DISEASE

Seyed Mohammad Bagher Hosseini Nasab  1 , Mohammad Reza Deevband  2 , Roghaye Rahimi  3 , Saeed Nasiri  4 , Mohammad Reza Ahangaran  5 , Mina Morshedi  1
Affiliations

OPTIMIZATION OF LUNG CT PROTOCOL FOR THE DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATION OF COVID-19 LUNG DISEASE

Seyed Mohammad Bagher Hosseini Nasab et al. Radiat Prot Dosimetry. .

Abstract

This study intends to evaluate the different lung CT scan protocols used for the diagnostic evaluation of COVID-19-induced lung disease in Iranian imaging centers in terms of radiation dose and image quality. After data collecting, subjective image quality, radiation dose and objective image quality such as noise, SNR and CNR were assessed. Statistically significant differences in effective dose and image quality were evident among different lung CT protocols. Lowest and highest effective dose was1.31 ± 0.53 mSv related to a protocol with activated AEC (reference mAs = 20) and 6.15 ± 0.57 mSv related to a protocol with Fixed mAs (mAs = 100), respectively. A protocol with enabled tube current modulation with 70 mAs as a reference mAs, and protocol with 20 mAs and enabled AEC had the best and lowest image quality, respectively. To optimize the scan parameters, AEC must be used, and a range of tube currents (between 20 and 50 mAs) can produce acceptable images in terms of diagnostic quality and radiation dose for the diagnosis of COVID-19-induced lung disease.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Lung CT images in the axial plane show placement of the region of interest in pulmonary paranchyma and chest wall soft tissue for image quality assessment.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Comparison of objective image quality indicators including noise, SNR, CNR and effective dose in different protocols.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Correlation between effective mAs in relation to the increase in effective diameter (Siemens Emotion 16 slice) (Reference mAs = 50, AEC = enabled).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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