Keywords:
Performed at one institution, Observational, Prospective, Haemodynamics / Flow dynamics, Drugs / Reactions, Diagnostic procedure, Contrast agent-intravenous, CT, Radiographers, Liver, Contrast agents
Authors:
A. D. Gomes1, M. C. Couto1, R. M. S. C. Pereira1, R. M. Cardoso1, N. M. M. Neves1, R. C. M. C. R. Gaspar2, M. Santos1; 1Aveiro/PT, 2Coimbra/PT
DOI:
10.26044/ecr2020/C-14517
Purpose
The use of intravenous contrast media (ICM) in hepatic computed tomography (CT) studies is subject to multiple factors that influence its administration. Regarding the patient, body weight and cardiac performance were the main factors that influence contrast enhancement [1]. Beyond those, there are other factors with influence on the ICM administration protocol, such as renal function, gender, age, venous access, and the patient's clinical status [1][2].
On the other hand, factors such as flow, scan delay time, and ICM concentration and volume contribute to the injection protocol differentiation[2][3][4]. Some authors refer that the fixed injection duration protocol facilitates the achievement of consistent on arterial and hepatic enhancements and the standardization of scan timing [5][6]. Other authors argue that abdominal and hepatic CT imaging can be performed with a fixed-rate injection protocol regardless of the patient’s weight [7][8].
Most consensual is the minimal high-diagnostic-quality hepatic parenchyma enhancement for portal venous phase and delayed phase – 50 Hounsfield Units (HU) [4][9].
The purpose of our study was to analyse the fixed arterial and portal venous scan delays, and ICM dose variability in multiphase hepatic CT studies and its repercussion on the structures' enhancement (aorta artery, portal vein and hepatic parenchyma) during arterial and venous phase acquisition.