Multislice CT: A Practical Guide: Proceedings of the 5th International SOMATOM CT Scientific User Conference Zurich, June 2000

Until recently, CT scanner performance was limited by a series of compromises. With single-detector scanners, one cannot select thin collimation and still maintain the required extent of volumetric coverage. Slow scans cause motion artifacts that impair image quality. The introduction of multidetector CT technology, however, has revolutionized the field. Currently multidetector, multislice CT scanners acquire up to four channels of data from interweaving spirals. The minimum gantry rotation period is as low as half of a second. This increased scan speed allows for thinner collimation and thus higher longitudinal or z-axis resolution in comparison with single-detector CT. The improved image quality with multidetector technology leads to new applications of CT, particularly in cardiac, vascular, and abdominal imaging. On-going clinical studies are evaluating the suitability of this new imaging tool for non-invasive screening and diagnosis of coronary artery disease. A particular advantage to the increased scan speed in vascular imaging is the ability to cut intra­ venous contrast dosage and still maintain peak enhancement CT throughout the entire acquisition. Thin-section, multiphasic acquisition during optimal arterial-phase and venous-phase enhan­ cement significantly improves the accuracy for small lesion and vessel detection, and enhances overall classification of abdominal neoplasms. On the other hand, the increasingly large volume data sets force to new ways of looking at, presenting, storing, and trans­ ferring images. Networking and two- and three dimensional data processing are the key words.

Table of Contents:
I Technical Aspects of Multislice Computed Tomography.- Spiral and Multislice Computed Tomography Scanning: Physical Principles that Inform Protocol Development.- Multislice Scanning with the SOMATOM Volume Zoom.- What is Changed in Contrast Medium Injection when Using High-Resolution Multislice Computed Tomography?.- Computer Modeling Approach to Contrast Medium Administration and Scan Timing for Multislice Computed Tomography.- Three-Dimensional Imaging and Virtual Reality Applications of Multislice Computed Tomography.- II Multislice Computed Tomography in Neuroradiology.- Intracranial and Cervical Three-Dimensional Computed Tomography Angiography Using a Multislice Computed Tomography System: Initial Clinical Experience.- Multislice Spiral Computed Tomography of the Skull Base.- III Cardiovascular Multislice Computed Tomography.- Cardiac Imaging with Multislice Computed Tomography Scan and Reconstruction Principles and Quality Assurance.- The Potential of Cardio-Computed Tomography.- Coronary Atherosclerosis in Multislice Computed Tomography.- Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography Using Multislice Computed Tomography: Pitfalls and Potential.- Cardiac Multislice Computed Tomography: Screening and Diagnosis of Chronic Heart Disease.- Real Time Visualization of Volume Data: Applications in Computed Tomography Angiography.- Fast High-Resolution Computed Tomography Angiography of Peripheral Vessels.- IV Multislice Computed Tomography Applications in the Chest.- Multislice Computed Tomography of the Lung Parenchyma.- Multisclice CT in Pulmonary Embolism.- The Radiologist’s Role in Radiation Exposure during Chest Computed Tomography.- V Multislice Computed Tomography Applications in the Abdomen.- Multidetector, Multislice Spiral Computed Tomography of the Abdomen: QuoVadis.- Multislice Computed Tomography of the Urinary Tract.- Application of Multislice Computed Tomography in Liver and Pancreas.- Virtual Endoscopy.- Multislice Computed Tomography Colonography: Technique Optimization.