Dual-energy CT: Technical considerations and clinical applications.

Although dual-energy CT was initially described by Hounsfield in 1973, it remains underused in clinical practice. It is therefore important to emphasize the clinical benefits and limitations of this technique. Iodine mapping makes it possible to quantify the uptake of iodine, which is very important in characterizing tumors, lung perfusion, pulmonary nodules, and the tumor response to new treatments. Dual-energy CT also makes it possible to obtain virtual single-energy images and virtual images without iodinated contrast or without calcium, as well as to separate materials such as uric acid or fat and to elaborate hepatic iron overload maps. In this article, we review some of the clinical benefits and technical limitations to improve understanding of dual-energy CT and expand its use in clinical practice.

Energía Dual en TC. Consideraciones técnicas y aplicaciones clínicas / Dual-energy CT: technical considerations and clinical applications

A pesar de que el concepto de doble energía en TC nace con Hounsfield en 1973, su uso clínico permanece infrautilizado, siendo importante incidir en los beneficios clínicos y limitaciones de esta técnica. La utilidad de imágenes de «mapa de yodo» permite valorar cuantitativamente la captación de yodo, de gran importancia en la caracterización de lesiones tumorales, en los mapas de perfusión pulmonar, en la naturaleza del nódulo pulmonar o en la respuesta tumoral a los nuevos tratamientos. Permite la obtención de imágenes monoenergéticas virtuales, imágenes virtuales sin contraste yodado o sin calcio, separación de materiales como ácido úrico o de la grasa o mapas de sobrecarga férrica hepática. En este artículo revisamos algunos de los beneficios clínicos y limitaciones técnicas para mejorar su comprensión y ayudar a expandir su uso clínico.(AU)

Although dual-energy CT was initially described by Hounsfield in 1973, it remains underused in clinical practice. It is therefore important to emphasize the clinical benefits and limitations of this technique. Iodine mapping makes it possible to quantify the uptake of iodine, which is very important in characterizing tumors, lung perfusion, pulmonary nodules, and the tumor response to new treatments. Dual-energy CT also makes it possible to obtain virtual single-energy images and virtual images without iodinated contrast or without calcium, as well as to separate materials such as uric acid or fat and to elaborate hepatic iron overload maps. In this article, we review some of the clinical benefits and technical limitations to improve understanding of dual-energy CT and expand its use in clinical practice.(AU)