人工智能后处理在“双低”头颈部CT血管成像中的应用

Application of Artificial Intelligence Post-processing in"Double Low"Head and Neck CT Angiography

目的:探讨“双低”(低管电压、低碘摄入量)扫描结合人工智能(AI)后处理技术用于头颈部CT血管成像(CTA)的价值。方法:选取行头颈部CTA检查患者70例,随机分成实验组(A组)和常规组(B组),每组各35例。A组:管电压80 kV、对比剂用量30 mL、对比剂浓度320 mgl/mL;B组:管电压120 kV、对比剂用量40 mL、对比剂浓度350 mgl/mL。客观评价2组图像的头颈部动脉CT值、信噪比(SNR)及对比噪声比(CNR)。比较2组的有效辐射剂量(ED)和平均碘摄入量的差异。根据重建方法的不同将A组和B组分别分为两亚组,A1和B1组为人工后处理组,A2和B2为AI后处理组,主观评价采用4分制对4组的图像质量进行评分。结果:A组动脉平均CT值较B组高,且2组间差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05)。A组、B组SNR和CNR在主动脉弓、颈总动脉及颈内动脉处差异无统计学意义(P≥0.05),在大脑中动脉和基底动脉间差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05)。A组ED和平均碘摄入量较B组分别降低了69.27%、31.43%,组间差异均有统计学意义(P<0.01)。4组图像质量均满足诊断要求,A1组与A2组、B1组与B2组的图像质量主观评分差异有统计学意义(P<0.05),其他组之间的差异无统计学意义。结论:头颈部CTA“双低”扫描结合AI后处理的图像质量评分高,降低了辐射剂量和碘摄入量,具有良好的临床应用价值。

Purpose:To explore the value of'double low"(low tube voltage,low iodine intake)scanning combined with artificial intelligence(Al)post-processing technology for head and neck computed tomography angiography(CTA).Methods:A total of 70 patients who underwent head and neck CTA examination were randomly divided into experimental group(group A)and conventional group(group B),with 35 cases in each group.Group A:the tube voltage was 80 kV,the contrast agent dosage was 30 mL,and the contrast agent concentration was320 mgl/mL;Group B:the tube voltage was 120 kV,the contrast agent dosage was 40 mL,and the contrast agent concentration was 350 mgl/mL.The CT value,signal-to-noise ratio(SNR)and contrast-to-noise ratio(CNR)of the head and neck arteries were objectively evaluated.The dfference of the effective radiation dose(ED)and average iodine intake were compared between the two groups.According to the different reconstruction methods,group A and group B were divided into two subgroups respectively:group A1 and group B1 were artificial post-processing groups,and group A2 and group B2 were AI post-processing groups.The subjective evaluation was scored by a fourpoint system to rate the image quality of the four groups.Results:The average CT value in group A was higher than that in group B,and the difference between the two groups was with statistical significance(P<0.05).There was no significant difference in SNR and CNR between group A and group B at aortic arch,common carotid artery and internal carotid artery(P≥0.05),while there was significant difference at middle cerebral artery and basilar artery(P<0.05).ED and average iodine intake in group A were 69.27%and 31.43%lower than those in group B(P<0.01).The image quality of the four groups met the diagnostic requirements.There were significant differences in subjective scores of image quality between group A1 and group A2,group B1 and group B2(P<0.05),and there was no significant difference between other groups.Conclusion:The image quality score of head and neck CTA"double low"scan combined with AI post-processing reconstruction is high,which can be used to reduce the radiation dose and iodine intake,and has good clinical application value.