Eric Tranvinh
The technology behind dual-energy CT (DECT) has been around for nearly 4 decades1,2, but it was not until 2006 that the first dual-source CT scanner became available for clinical use.3 The years that followed brought about further technologic advances, including the development of additional techniques for obtaining DECT data. Modern DECT imaging can be performed with radiation doses comparable to … more »
Reza Forghani
Accurate determinations of tumor extent and the invasion of critical structures are essential for proper staging and management of patients with head and neck cancer, but can at times be challenging. By taking advantage of the strong energy-dependent or spectral properties of iodinated contrast agents used for improving tumor visualization, different dual-energy CT (DECT) reconstructions can be generated to improve … more »
Astrid E. Grams
CT is a quickly accessible imaging modality in most centers; however, one of its disadvantages is inferior tissue discrimination compared with MRI. Dual-energy CT can partly compensate for this limitation. Besides the possibility to reduce radiation dose or contrast agent administration with the same resulting imaging quality, the method features the opportunity to reduce beam-hardening artifacts and to … more »
Thorstein Fleiter
The analysis of high-attenuating, extra-axial fluid collections after traumatic brain injuries, especially in older patients, remains a challenge. A standard, single-energy CT scan does not allow for discrimination between a real subdural hematoma and iodinated contrast that leaked into the subdural space and could ultimately be mistaken for a new hemorrhage in follow-up scans, with numerous clinical consequences, including … more »
Matteo Bonatti
Mechanical thrombectomy has become the standard of care for patients with acute ischemic stroke secondary to a large vessel occlusion, but despite the continuous improvements in materials and techniques, posttreatment hemorrhage still represents a potentially devastating complication. The reason for this resides in the fact that besides bleedings secondary to intraprocedural vessel rupture, whose prevalence has significantly dropped off … more »
Uttam Bodanapally
Our routine head dual-energy CT (DECT) protocol includes a set of mixed 120-kV images that mirror typical single-energy CT (SECT) images and a second set of 190-keV (virtual high-energy monochromatic) images that are adopted due to their greater sensitivity in detecting traumatic intracranial hemorrhages.1 We arrived at this topic after observing higher hemorrhagic contusion volumes on follow-up 120-kV images … more »