Abstract
Arterial peak enhancement on contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) images is thought to be higher in patients with low cardiac function. Using computer simulations, we tested the hypothesis that the relationship between the cardiac index and the aortic peak CT number (PCTN) is affected by the contrast material (CM) injection duration. We created computer simulation software for the contrast enhancement of various organs and vessels based on the Bae pharmacokinetics model and implemented models for CM transmission within organs and CM diffusion in blood plasma based on the osmotic pressure. Aortic contrast enhancement at coronary- and abdominal CT angiographs (CTA) was simulated for a representative 60-year-old Japanese male 166 cm in height and 65.0 kg in weight. The injection protocol for coronary CTA was: CM dose 45.5 ml, iodine dose, 245 mg/kg body weight (BW); injection duration 8-20 sec in 2-sec increments. For abdominal CTA it was CM dose 74.3 ml; iodine dose 400 mg/kg BW; injection duration 10-40 sec in 5-sec increments. In both protocols the iodine concentration was 350 mgI/ml, osmotic pressure was 590 mOsm/kgH2O, and the cardiac index ranged from 0.1-6.0 l/min/m2. Under all protocols, the aortic PCTN increased as the injection duration decreased and as the cardiac index rose to the cardiac index value. It then decreased as it exceeded the cardiac index value. At coronary CTA, at an injection duration of 8 or 10 sec, the PCTN exceeded 350 Hounsfield units (HU) at a cardiac index from 0.9-5.6 l/min/m2. At an HU value greater than 350, the range of the cardiac index narrowed when the injection duration was 12 sec or longer. On abdominal CTA scans performed with an injection duration of 10-, 15-, or 20 sec, the PCTN exceeded 350 HU at a cardiac index ranging from 0.4-5.3 l/min/m2. When the injection duration ranged from 25-40 sec, there was narrowing of the range of the cardiac index at which the PCTN exceeded 350 HU. For coronary and abdominal CTA, contrast enhancement protocols with shorter injection durations yield a diagnostically adequate aortic PCTN at a wide range of cardiac indices.