Low kV and Low Concentration Contrast Agent with Iterative Reconstruction of Computed Tomography (CT) Coronary Angiography: A Preliminary Study

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to evaluate the image quality and radiation dose of CT coronary angiography (CTCA) with low kV, low concentration contrast agent, and iterative reconstruction. MATERIAL AND METHODS Ninety cases were randomly divided into 3 groups according to contrast agent concentration: group A 270 mg/ml (100 kV), group B 350 mg/ml (120 kV), and group C 370 mg/ml (120 kV), with 30 cases per group. Tube current was 200-250 mAs. Collimator width was 128×0.6 mm. Rotation speed was 0.27 s. The CT value of the left and right coronary arteries and the ascending aortic root was measured. The SNR and CNR of the images were calculated to evaluate the image quality objectively. The CTDI, DLP, and contrast injection were recorded. RESULTS There were no significant differences in sex, age, weight, height, and BMI among the 3 groups. There was no statistically significant difference between left and right coronary artery and ascending aortic root CT value, background noise, SNR, and CNR. Compared to B and C, the ED in group A decreased by about 27.58% and 28.21%, respectively. The total amount of iodine in group A was decreased by about 21.27% and 24.83%, respectively compared with groups B and C. CONCLUSIONS Low kV and low concentration contrast agent combined with iterative reconstruction for CTCA imaging produced image quality consistent with that of conventional CTCA and significantly reduced the dosage of the radiation and injected iodine.