Feasibility of low-dose radiation CT scanning for liver 3D modeling printing / 医学研究生学报

ABSTRACT

Objective In the wide clinical practice of liver 3D printing, its related high-dose CT radiation has been somehow neglected and resulted in unnecessary radiation injury to the patients. This study was to explore the feasibility of liver 3D modeling printing with the low-dose radiation CT scanning technique.　Methods　This retrospective study included 40 patients undergoing liver 3D modeling printing from January 2016 to June 2018, who were equally randomized into a low-dose radiation group (100 kVp, by automated tube current modulation [ATCM] and adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction [ASIR]) and a normal-dose radiation group (120 kVp, 250 mA by filter back projection [FBP]), both with contrast agent Iohexol at 300 mgI/m1. We obtained the values of three-phase enhanced CT scanning of the abdominal aorta, portal vein and liver parenchyma, background noise (BN), volume CT dose index (CTDI), dose length product (DLP), contrast noise ratio (CNR) and effective radiation dose (ED). We input the CT DICOM data into the 3D printer for liver modeling printing and subjectively assessed the results. Results There were statistically significant differences between the low-dose and normal-dose radiation groups in the CTDI, DLP and ED (P 0.05). The ED was decreased about 35.8% in the low-dose group as compared with that in the normal-dose group ([2.58 ± 0.79] vs [4.02 ± 0.26] mSv, P 0.05). Conclusion Low-dose radiation CT scanning technology can meet the clinical requirement of liver 3D modeling printing and significantly reduce the patient’s exposure to CT radiation.