The dual energy CT (DECT) technology has been recently employed in the form of two X-ray sources of different energies to enhance the contrast between adjacent structures. Its use in the cardiac arena has been widely highlighted due to the higher temporal resolution. However, it may also be used in the craniocervical and peripheral vasculature for better differentiation between contrast-enhanced vascular lumina and calcified plaques, in the characterisation of ureteric stones, and in the evaluation of hepatic lesions. The objective of this paper is to revisit DECT physics, review the literature and discuss its use in CT neuroangiography with case illustrations from our institution, and impact on dose savings.
Cerebral Angiography ; Constriction, Pathologic ; diagnosis ; Humans ; Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted ; Intracranial Aneurysm ; diagnosis ; Radiation Dosage ; Radiography, Dual-Energy Scanned Projection ; methods ; Review Literature as Topic ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; methods