Feasibility of thin-slice abdominal CT in overweight patients using a vendor neutral image-based denoising algorithm: Assessment of image noise, contrast, and quality
Feasibility of thin-slice abdominal CT in overweight patients using a vendor neutral image-based denoising algorithm: Assessment of image noise, contrast, and quality
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DOI：
10.1371/journal.pone.0226521
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发表时间：
2019-12-17
期刊：
影响因子：
3.7
通讯作者：
Yoshioka, Kunihiro
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Tamura, Akio;Nakayama, Manabu;Yoshioka, Kunihiro
本研究的目的是调查新的基于图像的降噪软件（NRS）是否提高了图像质量，并评估在薄层腹部CT图像质量中结合使用该软件与混合迭代重建（IR）的可行性。在这项回顾性研究中，纳入了54名在2017年4月至7月期间接受动态肝脏CT检查且体重指数高于25 kg/m2的患者。每例患者的三个图像集重建如下：层厚为1 mm的混合IR图像（A组），层厚为5 mm的混合IR图像（B组），以及使用NRS去噪的层厚为1 mm的混合IR图像（C组）。评估了相对于主动脉和肝脏肌肉的平均图像噪声和对比度噪声比。由两名放射科医师使用5分制评价主观图像质量的清晰度、噪声、对比度和总体质量。C组的平均图像噪声显著低于A组（p < 0.01），但B组与C组之间没有观察到显著差异。C组的对比噪声比显著高于A组（分别为p < 0.01和p = 0.01）。在噪声和总体质量方面，C组的主观图像质量也显著高于A组（p < 0.01），但在锐度和对比度方面则无显著差异（分别为p = 0.65和0.07）。C组图像对比度大于A组，但差异无统计学意义。与单独的混合IR相比，新型NRS与混合IR相结合可以在不牺牲CT图像质量的情况下显著降低噪声。这种结合的方法可能特别适用于超重患者的腹部薄层CT检查。
The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the novel image-based noise reduction software (NRS) improves image quality, and to assess the feasibility of using this software in combination with hybrid iterative reconstruction (IR) in image quality on thin-slice abdominal CT. In this retrospective study, 54 patients who underwent dynamic liver CT between April and July 2017 and had a body mass index higher than 25 kg/m(2) were included. Three image sets of each patient were reconstructed as follows: hybrid IR images with 1-mm slice thickness (group A), hybrid IR images with 5-mm slice thickness (group B), and hybrid IR images with 1-mm slice thickness denoised using NRS (group C). The mean image noise and contrast-to-noise ratio relative to the muscle of the aorta and liver were assessed. Subjective image quality was evaluated by two radiologists for sharpness, noise, contrast, and overall quality using 5-point scales. The mean image noise was significantly lower in group C than in group A (p < 0.01), but no significant difference was observed between groups B and C. The contrast-to-noise ratio was significantly higher in group C than in group A (p < 0.01 and p = 0.01, respectively). Subjective image quality was also significantly higher in group C than in group A (p < 0.01), in terms of noise and overall quality, but not in terms of sharpness and contrast (p = 0.65 and 0.07, respectively). The contrast of images in group C was greater than that in group A, but this difference was not significant. Compared with hybrid IR alone, the novel NRS combined with a hybrid IR could result in significant noise reduction without sacrificing image quality on CT. This combined approach will likely be particularly useful for thin-slice abdominal CT examinations of overweight patients.