Adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction technique for radiation dose reduction in chest CT: a pilot study.

PURPOSE: To compare lesion detection and image quality of chest computed tomographic (CT) images acquired at various tube current-time products (40-150 mAs) and reconstructed with adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASIR) or filtered back projection (FBP).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this Institutional Review Board-approved HIPAA-compliant study, CT data from 23 patients (mean age, 63 years ± 7.3 [standard deviation]; 10 men, 13 women) were acquired at varying tube current-time products (40, 75, 110, and 150 mAs) on a 64-row multidetector CT scanner with 10-cm scan length. All patients gave informed consent. Data sets were reconstructed at 30%, 50%, and 70% ASIR-FBP blending. Two thoracic radiologists assessed image noise, visibility of small structures, lesion conspicuity, and diagnostic confidence. Objective noise and CT number were measured in the thoracic aorta. CT dose index volume, dose-length product, weight, and transverse diameter were recorded. Data were analyzed by using analysis of variance and the Wilcoxon signed rank test.

RESULTS: FBP had unacceptable noise at 40 and 75 mAs in 17 and five patients, respectively, whereas ASIR had acceptable noise at 40-150 mAs. Objective noise with 30%, 50%, and 70% ASIR blending (11.8 ± 3.8, 9.6 ± 3.1, and 7.5 ± 2.6, respectively) was lower than that with FBP (15.8 ± 4.8) (P < .0001). No lesions were missed on FBP or ASIR images. Lesion conspicuity was graded as well seen on both FBP and ASIR images (P < .05). Mild pixilated blotchy texture was noticed with 70% blended ASIR images.

CONCLUSION: Acceptable image quality can be obtained for chest CT images acquired at 40 mAs by using ASIR without any substantial artifacts affecting diagnostic confidence.

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL: https://radiology.rsna.org/lookup/suppl/doi:10.1148/radiol.11101450/-/DC1.