HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by O'Riordan, E. Articles by Robinson, P. J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by O'Riordan, E. Articles by Robinson, P. J. Social Bookmarking                      What's this? Hotlight (NEW!) What's Hotlight?

Dual Phase Hepatic CT

Influence of Scanning Direction on Liver Attenuation

¹ Department of Clinical Radiology, St. James's University Hospital, Beckett St., Leeds LS9 7TF, United Kingdom.
² Department of Medical Physics, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds LS9 7TF, United Kingdom.

OBJECTIVE. We measured changes in hepatic attenuation during arterial and portal phase acquisition of hepatic CT in the craniocaudal and caudocranial directions.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS. In 10 of 20 patients undergoing dual phase helical CT during staging for colorectal cancer, images in both phases were obtained in the craniocaudal direction. Ten patients underwent imaging in the caudocranial direction. Attenuation values in the aorta and in the peripheral and central liver regions of interest were measured on each slice. Central and peripheral liver attenuation was also measured in 10 additional patients undergoing unenhanced CT.

RESULTS. Both peripheral and central regions of interest revealed progressively increasing attenuation during the arterial phase, irrespective of scanning direction. During the portal phase, hepatic attenuation was stable in the craniocaudal direction but decreased in the caudocranial direction (p < 0.05, Wilcoxon's signed rank sum test). Central hepatic attenuation was lower than peripheral attenuation in unenhanced livers and in enhanced livers during both phases of caudocranial acquisition. We determined no significant difference during the arterial phase of enhancement in the craniocaudal direction.

CONCLUSION. The direction of acquisition does not influence sequential liver enhancement during the arterial phase. Craniocaudal acquisition produces more stable enhancement during the portal phase. Differences in attenuation between the central and peripheral areas of the liver are probably unrelated to contrast administration.

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M.-J. Kim, J. Y. Choi, J. S. Lim, J. Y. Kim, J. H. Kim, Y. T. Oh, E. H. Yoo, J. J. Chung, and K. W. Kim Optimal scan window for detection of hypervascular hepatocellular carcinomas during MDCT examination. Am. J. Roentgenol., July 1, 2006; 187(1): 198 - 206. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]