Diagnostic performance and image quality of deep learning image reconstruction (DLIR) on unenhanced low-dose abdominal CT for urolithiasis

Background Patients with urolithiasis undergo radiation overexposure from computed tomography (CT) scans. Improvement of image reconstruction is necessary for radiation dose reduction. Purpose To evaluate a deep learning-based reconstruction algorithm for CT (DLIR) in the detection of urolithiasis at low-dose non-enhanced abdominopelvic CT. Material and Methods A total of 75 patients who underwent low-dose abdominopelvic CT for urolithiasis were retrospectively included. Each examination included three reconstructions: DLIR; filtered back projection (FBP); and hybrid iterative reconstruction (IR; ASiR-V 70%). Image quality was subjectively and objectively assessed using attenuation and noise measurements in order to calculate the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), absolute contrast, and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). Attenuation of the largest stones were also compared. Detectability of urinary stones was assessed by two observers. Results Image noise was significantly reduced with DLIR: 7.2 versus 17 and 22 for ASiR-V 70% and FBP, respectively. Similarly, SNR and CNR were also higher compared to the standard reconstructions. When the structures had close attenuation values, contrast was lower with DLIR compared to ASiR-V. Attenuation of stones was also lowered in the DLIR series. Subjective image quality was significantly higher with DLIR. The detectability of all stones and stones >3 mm was excellent with DLIR for the two observers (intraclass correlation [ICC] = 0.93 vs. 0.96 and 0.95 vs. 0.99). For smaller stones (<3 mm), results were different (ICC = 0.77 vs. 0.86). Conclusion For low-dose abdominopelvic CT, DLIR reconstruction exhibited image quality superior to ASiR-V and FBP as well as an excellent detection of urinary stones.