Noise insertion in CT for cocaine body packing: where is the limit of extensive dose reduction?

Abstract Background To evaluate the detection rate and image quality in CT-body-packer-screening at different radiation-dose levels and to determine a dose threshold that enables a reliable detection of incorporated body packs and incidental findings with a maximum of dose saving. Materials and meth...

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Main Authors: Joel Aissa, Edwin Bölke, Lino M. Sawicki, Elisabeth Appel, Christoph Thomas, Philipp Heusch, Martin Sedlmair, Karl Krzymyk, Patric Kröpil, Gerald Antoch, Johannes Boos
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2018-12-01
Series:European Journal of Medical Research
Subjects:
Online Access:http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40001-018-0356-3
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spelling doaj-3812eafede574f739731fc79c4d1dfcf2020-11-25T00:53:57ZengBMCEuropean Journal of Medical Research2047-783X2018-12-012311810.1186/s40001-018-0356-3Noise insertion in CT for cocaine body packing: where is the limit of extensive dose reduction?Joel Aissa0Edwin Bölke1Lino M. Sawicki2Elisabeth Appel3Christoph Thomas4Philipp Heusch5Martin Sedlmair6Karl Krzymyk7Patric Kröpil8Gerald Antoch9Johannes Boos10Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Medical Faculty, University DusseldorfDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Medical Faculty, University DusseldorfDepartment of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Medical Faculty, University DusseldorfDepartment of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Medical Faculty, University DusseldorfDepartment of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Medical Faculty, University DusseldorfDepartment of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Medical Faculty, University DusseldorfComputed Tomography, Siemens Healthineers GmbHComputed Tomography, Siemens Healthineers GmbHDepartment of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Medical Faculty, University DusseldorfDepartment of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Medical Faculty, University DusseldorfDepartment of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Medical Faculty, University DusseldorfAbstract Background To evaluate the detection rate and image quality in CT-body-packer-screening at different radiation-dose levels and to determine a dose threshold that enables a reliable detection of incorporated body packs and incidental findings with a maximum of dose saving. Materials and methods We retrospectively included 27 individuals who underwent an abdominal CT with automated exposure control due to suspected body packing. CT images were reconstructed at different radiation-dose levels of 50%, 10, 5% and 1% using iterative reconstructions. All 135 CT reconstructions were evaluated by three independent readers. Reviewers determined the presence of foreign bodies and evaluated the image quality using a 5-point ranking scale. In addition, visualization of incidental findings was assessed. Results A threshold of 5% (effective dose 0.11 ± 0.07 mSv) was necessary to correctly identify all 27 patients with suspected body packing. Extensive noise insertion to a dose level of 1% (0.02 ± 0.01 mSV) led to false-positive solid cocaine findings in three patients. Image quality was comparable between 100 and 50%. The threshold for correct identification of incidental findings was 10% of the initial dose (effective dose 0.21 ± 0.13 mSv). Conclusions Our results indicate that dose of abdominal CT for the detection of intracorporeal cocaine body packets can be markedly reduced to up to 5% of the initial dose while still providing sufficient image quality to detect ingested body packets. However, a minimum effective dose of 0.21 mSv (10% of initial dose) seems to be required to properly identify incidental findings.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40001-018-0356-3CT doseImage analysisDrug abuseLow dose CT
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Joel Aissa
Edwin Bölke
Lino M. Sawicki
Elisabeth Appel
Christoph Thomas
Philipp Heusch
Martin Sedlmair
Karl Krzymyk
Patric Kröpil
Gerald Antoch
Johannes Boos
spellingShingle Joel Aissa
Edwin Bölke
Lino M. Sawicki
Elisabeth Appel
Christoph Thomas
Philipp Heusch
Martin Sedlmair
Karl Krzymyk
Patric Kröpil
Gerald Antoch
Johannes Boos
Noise insertion in CT for cocaine body packing: where is the limit of extensive dose reduction?
European Journal of Medical Research
CT dose
Image analysis
Drug abuse
Low dose CT
author_facet Joel Aissa
Edwin Bölke
Lino M. Sawicki
Elisabeth Appel
Christoph Thomas
Philipp Heusch
Martin Sedlmair
Karl Krzymyk
Patric Kröpil
Gerald Antoch
Johannes Boos
author_sort Joel Aissa
title Noise insertion in CT for cocaine body packing: where is the limit of extensive dose reduction?
title_short Noise insertion in CT for cocaine body packing: where is the limit of extensive dose reduction?
title_full Noise insertion in CT for cocaine body packing: where is the limit of extensive dose reduction?
title_fullStr Noise insertion in CT for cocaine body packing: where is the limit of extensive dose reduction?
title_full_unstemmed Noise insertion in CT for cocaine body packing: where is the limit of extensive dose reduction?
title_sort noise insertion in ct for cocaine body packing: where is the limit of extensive dose reduction?
publisher BMC
series European Journal of Medical Research
issn 2047-783X
publishDate 2018-12-01
description Abstract Background To evaluate the detection rate and image quality in CT-body-packer-screening at different radiation-dose levels and to determine a dose threshold that enables a reliable detection of incorporated body packs and incidental findings with a maximum of dose saving. Materials and methods We retrospectively included 27 individuals who underwent an abdominal CT with automated exposure control due to suspected body packing. CT images were reconstructed at different radiation-dose levels of 50%, 10, 5% and 1% using iterative reconstructions. All 135 CT reconstructions were evaluated by three independent readers. Reviewers determined the presence of foreign bodies and evaluated the image quality using a 5-point ranking scale. In addition, visualization of incidental findings was assessed. Results A threshold of 5% (effective dose 0.11 ± 0.07 mSv) was necessary to correctly identify all 27 patients with suspected body packing. Extensive noise insertion to a dose level of 1% (0.02 ± 0.01 mSV) led to false-positive solid cocaine findings in three patients. Image quality was comparable between 100 and 50%. The threshold for correct identification of incidental findings was 10% of the initial dose (effective dose 0.21 ± 0.13 mSv). Conclusions Our results indicate that dose of abdominal CT for the detection of intracorporeal cocaine body packets can be markedly reduced to up to 5% of the initial dose while still providing sufficient image quality to detect ingested body packets. However, a minimum effective dose of 0.21 mSv (10% of initial dose) seems to be required to properly identify incidental findings.
topic CT dose
Image analysis
Drug abuse
Low dose CT
url http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40001-018-0356-3
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