Photon-Counting CT Offers Superior Imaging in Babies with Heart Defects

A new advanced form of CT imaging called photon-counting computed tomography (PCCT) offers better cardiovascular imaging quality at a similar radiation dose compared to dual-source CT (DSCT) in infants with suspected cardiac heart defects, according to a study published in Radiology a journal of the Radiological Society of North America.

Congenital heart defects are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the neonatal period, occurring in up to one percent of live births. Of those, approximately 25% are critical defects requiring surgical intervention within the first month after birth. A comprehensive assessment, including ultrasound, MRI and CT exams, is typically needed to plan for surgery and to create virtual and printed 3D reconstructions of the heart.

“Infants and neonates with suspected congenital heart defects are a technically challenging group of patients for any imaging method, including CT,” said Timm Dirrichs, M.D., senior physician and specialist in cardiothoracic radiology in the Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology at RWTH Aachen University Hospital in Aachen, Germany. “There is a substantial clinical need to improve cardiac CT of this vulnerable group. It’s essential to carefully map the individual cardiac anatomy and possible routes of surgical intervention using the highest possible diagnostic standards.”

PCCT is an emerging imaging technique that counts the exact number and measures the energy of incoming x-ray photons. Compared with DSCT technology, PCCT offers higher image resolution and/or reduced radiation doses, which is of particular interest when imaging children. The PCCT technique has already been shown to improve cardiovascular CT imaging in adults. However, data on neonates and small children are lacking.

“Our aim was to evaluate the image quality of first-generation photon-counting CT for cardiac imaging in children with suspected cardiac heart defects compared with third-generation dual-source CT (DSCT) and to compare the respective radiation exposure,” Dr. Dirrichs said.

The research team analyzed existing clinical CT exams of 113 children who underwent contrast enhanced PCCT (30 infants), DSCT (83 infants) or both PCCT and DSCT (one infant) of the heart and thoracic aorta between January 2019 and October 2022. The study group consisted of 55 girls/58 boys (median age 66 days).

The researchers found that the PCCT images were sharper, with less image noise and greater contrast than DSCT images. The mean overall visual image quality ratings were higher for PCCT versus DSCT at a similar radiation dose. More than 97% of the PCCT images were at least diagnostic quality, compared to 77% of the DSCT images.

“In our study, none of the PCCT examinations exhibited a poor image quality, and only a few were of limited or moderate quality,” Dr. Dirrichs said.

He noted that of the DSCT images, almost one-quarter were of limited or non-diagnostic quality, and 40% were of moderate quality.

“PCCT is a promising method that may improve diagnostic image quality and efficiency compared to DSCT imaging,” Dr. Dirrichs said. “This higher efficiency can be used to reduce the radiation dose at a given image quality level or to improve image quality at a given radiation level.”

 

SourceRSNA
Medical Device News Magazinehttps://infomeddnews.com
Our publication is dedicated to bringing our readers the latest medical device news. We are proud to boast that our subscribers include medical specialists, device industry executives, investors, and other allied health professionals, as well as patients who are interested in researching various medical devices. We hope you find value in our easy-to-read publication and its overall purpose and objectives! Medical Device News Magazine is a division of PTM Healthcare Marketing, Inc. Pauline T. Mayer is the managing editor.

More News!

Data from clinical studies of STK-001 demonstrated clinical benefit for patients ages 2 to 18 years old, including reductions in seizures and improvements in cognition and behavior that support the potential for disease modificatio. Analysis of 72 patients treated in STK-001 clinical trials suggests that higher STK-001 drug exposure in brain leads to greater seizure reductions. Two-year data from the longest prospective natural history study of Dravet syndrome showed that, on average, patients experienced no meaningful improvement in convulsive seizure frequency and exhibited widening gaps in cognition and behavior despite treatment with the best available anti-seizure medicines.
"Exact Sciences is looking forward to presenting new evidence at SABCS that adds important perspectives to treating breast cancer patients and showing that some patients may be able to de-escalate treatments and still have positive outcomes," said Dr. Rick Baehner, Chief Medical Officer, Precision Oncology, Exact Sciences. "Every year, we build upon the precedent set by the Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score® test and its prognostic and predictive abilities to determine the chemotherapy benefit for specific breast cancer patients. We are pleased to see authorities expanding access to this test as we continue to develop key evidence in collaboration with some of the world's most prestigious, breast cancer-focused organizations."
Clozapine has been established as the most effective antipsychotic medication for treatment-resistant schizophrenia. However, it is significantly underutilized mainly due to the risk of developing agranulocytosis and the need to frequently monitor the absolute neutrophil count (ANC).
Dagi-Ben Noon, CEO of Inspira Technologies, reflects on the partnership's significance: "By Integrating our technology to oxygenate blood directly with Ennocure's infection prevention solutions, we are focusing on potentially improving patient outcomes in ICUs and paving the way for safer, more effective life-support treatments. This collaboration is expected to accelerate the development and broaden the implementation of our advanced technology."
The findings suggest that the novel, non-invasive genomic test can help physicians guide next steps for these patients, enabling them to potentially avoid unnecessary invasive procedures or accelerate time to appropriate treatment.

By using this website you agree to accept Medical Device News Magazine Privacy Policy