A Motion Artifact Correction Algorithm for Cone-Beam CT in Patients with Hepatic Malignancies Treated with Transarterial Chemoembolization.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of a motion artifact correction algorithm (MACA) on cone-beam computed tomography (CT) during transarterial chemoembolization for hepatic malignancies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From June 2020 to March 2021, 42 patients with mild-to-severe motion artifacts detected using single cone-beam CT scans were evaluated retrospectively. The image quality of native and motion-corrected data was compared. The maximum intensity, sharpness, and full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 5 segmental hepatic arteries were quantitatively measured. The overall quality of maximum intensity projection (MIP) images, conspicuity of tumor-supplying arteries, and need for selective angiography to ascertain the vascular anatomy were qualitatively evaluated by multiple readers. Paired t and Wilcoxon signed rank tests were used to compare the parameters. RESULTS: The mean maximum intensity and sharpness increased from 2,792.01 HU ± 451.36 to 3,148.40 HU ± 594.46 and from 0.31 ± 0.02/mm to 0.34 ± 0.02/mm, respectively, using the MACA (both P < .001). The MACA decreased the mean FWHM from 2.02 mm ± 0.27 to 1.78 mm ± 0.26 (P < .001). The overall quality of the MIP images and the conspicuity of the tumor-supplying artery were enhanced from 2.5 to 3.0 points and from 3.0 to 4.0 points, respectively (both P < .001). Selective angiography was expected to be omitted in 7 cases (16.7%, 7/42) after using the MACA. CONCLUSIONS: The MACA significantly improved both quantitative and qualitative image quality of cone-beam CT in selected patients with motion artifacts during transarterial chemoembolization for hepatic malignancies.