Dual Energy CT Urography With Reduced Iodinated Contrast

Overview

The goal of this study is to validate that Dual Energy CT (DECT) urography when performed with a 50% reduction in iodinated contrast dose results in a CT exam with equal or better image quality and equal or better diagnostic capability compared to traditional Single Energy CT (SECT) performed with a standard contrast dose.

The investigators hypothesize that DECT urography performed with a 50% iodine dose reduction is equivalent to SECT urography performed with a full iodine dose for: * Enhancement of the aorta, renal arteries, and renal veins * Enhancement of the renal cortex * Enhancement of the renal pelvis, ureters, and bladder * Subjective evaluation of image quality * Objective evaluation of image quality In addition, the investigators hypothesize that DECT virtual non-contrast images using material suppression from the same low iodine CT exam results in equivalent diagnostic information compared to SECT true non-contrast images obtained in the same patient during the same exam. If the true non-contrast images could be replaced by the virtual non-contrast images without loss of information, there is potential for DECT to both significantly lower radiation dose as well as significantly decreasing iodine dose. The investigators designed this research protocol to prospectively test these hypotheses in a population scanned with a 50% reduced iodine DECT urography protocol compared to a control population scanned with a standard iodine dose clinical SECT urography protocol.

Conditions

Interventions

Eligibility

Locations (1)

Outcomes