Lung image quality with 320-row wide-volume CT scans: the effect of prospective ECG-gating and comparisons with 64-row helical CT scans

Abstract

Rationales and objectives: To evaluate the image quality of 320-row wide-volume (WV) computed tomography (CT) scans in comparison with 64-row helical scans for the lung.

Materials and methods: The Institutional Review Board of each institution approved this prospective, multicenter study and informed consent was obtained. A total of 73 subjects underwent two types of chest CT, including 320-row WV scans and 64-row helical scans. Both scans used the same tube voltage, tube current, exposure time setting, and slice thickness. The helical scans were not electrocardiogram (ECG)-gated. For the WV scans, prospective ECG-gating was used for 38 subjects, whereas the other 35 subjects did not have ECG-gating. Using a 5-point scale from 1 (nondiagnostic) to 5 (excellent), three blinded observers independently evaluated image quality for five lobes and the lingula. The differences in the scores between WV scans and helical scans were compared using Wilcoxon's signed-rank test.

Results: The WV scans with ECG-gating had significantly higher scores than 64-row helical scans for all lobes and lingula (right lower lobe, P < .01; other lobes and lingula, P < .0001, respectively). The 320-row WV scans without ECG-gating also had significantly higher scores than 64-row helical scans (P < .05), except for nonsignificant differences for the left upper lobe.

Conclusions: Lung image quality of ECG-gated WV scans, which do not require any additional radiation exposure, is better than that of non-ECG-gated 64-row helical scans. Non-ECG-gated 320-row WV scans are comparable or slightly superior to non-ECG-gated 64-row helical scans.