Mahmoud Mouhamad Al-Hawary MD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Joel Franklin Platt MD, Abstract Co-Author: Speakers Bureau, General Electric Company Speakers Bureau, E-Z-EM, Inc Research grant, Schering AG (Berlex Inc) Consultant, Schering AG (Berlex Inc)

Isaac R. Francis MD, Abstract Co-Author: Research grant, Schering AG (Berlex Inc)

The purpose of this study is to assess the feasibility of eliminating one phase from dual phase CTE which would enable a reduction in radiation dose.

Review of our institution records yielded 76 pts with known or suspected IBD who underwent CTE on a 16 slice MDCT (GE Healthcare) using the same scanning parameters and oral contrast VoLumen (E-Z-EM). Two readers independently evaluated the arterial and venous phases in different sessions. A normal jejunum, ileum and colon segment was identified and scored for lumen wall separation, wall layers and vascularity using a 3 point scale (1 poor, 2 acceptable and 3 excellent). Then up to 2 segments of abnormal small/large bowel if present were scored using the same scale. Analysis made using the Student's T test

The difference in lumen wall separation and wall layers in all normal segments was higher in the venous phase for both readers (P value <0.0001). No difference was found between the 2 phases for vascularity in both readers. Reader 1 & 2 identified 47 and 41 segments of abnormal small and 30 and 21 abnormal large bowel on the arterial phase respectively and 48 and 43 small bowel and 32 and 23 colon segments on the venous phase. For reader 1, 3/47 small bowel and 4/30 colon segments were seen only on the arterial phase whereas 4/48 small bowel and 6/32 colon segments were identified only on the venous phase. For reader 2, 2/41 small and 3/21 large bowel segments were only identified on the arterial phase whereas 4/43 small and 5/23 large bowel segments were seen only on the venous phase. Detection of abnormal bowel segments was commonly made in both phases, although often better seen on the venous phase. Overall in a few cases the abnormal segment was seen in only one phase, with the venous being more likely to be the unique helpful phase than the arterial.

The venous phase alone appear to be adequate for assessment of normal bowel segments and for detecting most of abnormal segments suggesting that we can eliminate the arterial phase for standard CTE in patients with IBD.

Assess whether we can eliminate 1 phase from CTE for IBD to decrease the radiation dose without compromising the diagnostic accuracy

Al-Hawary, M, Platt, J, Francis, I, CT Enterography with Dual Phase Technique in Patients with Known or Suspected Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Can We Eliminate a Scanning Phase?.  Radiological Society of North America 2006 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 26 - December 1, 2006 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2006/4432817.html