Automatic spectral imaging protocol selection combined with iterative reconstruction can enhance image quality and decrease radiation and contrast dosage in abdominal CT angiography

To investigate the effect of automatic spectral imaging protocol selection (ASIS) and adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASIR) technology in reducing radiation and contrast dosage. Sixty-four patients were randomly divided into two groups for abdominal computed tomography (CT): the experiment group with ASIS plus 50% ASIR and the control with 120 kVp voltage. The CT dose-index volume decreased by 23.68 and 23.57% and the dose-length product dropped by 25.59 and 18.45% in the arterial and portal venous phases, respectively, in the experiment than control group. The contrast dose was reduced by 16.86% in the experiment group. In the 55 keV + 50% ASIR group, the arterial contrast-to-noise ratio and scores were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than in the control group in the arterial phase while the portal contrast-to-noise ratio and scores were not significantly different between the two groups (P > 0.05). The ASIS technique plus 50% ASIR can enhance image quality of the abdominal structures while decreasing the radiation and contrast dosage compared with the conventional scan mode.