Evaluation of an iterative model-based reconstruction of pediatric abdominal CT with regard to image quality and radiation dose.

Background In pediatric patients, computed tomography (CT) is important in the medical chain of diagnosing and monitoring various diseases. Because children are more radiosensitive than adults, they require minimal radiation exposure. One way to achieve this goal is to implement new technical solutions, like iterative reconstruction. Purpose To evaluate the potential of a new, iterative, model-based method for reconstructing (IMR) pediatric abdominal CT at a low radiation dose and determine whether it maintains or improves image quality, compared to the current reconstruction method. Material and Methods Forty pediatric patients underwent abdominal CT. Twenty patients were examined with the standard dose settings and 20 patients were examined with a 32% lower radiation dose. Images from the standard examination were reconstructed with a hybrid iterative reconstruction method (iDose4), and images from the low-dose examinations were reconstructed with both iDose4 and IMR. Image quality was evaluated subjectively by three observers, according to modified EU image quality criteria, and evaluated objectively based on the noise observed in liver images. Results Visual grading characteristics analyses showed no difference in image quality between the standard dose examination reconstructed with iDose4 and the low dose examination reconstructed with IMR. IMR showed lower image noise in the liver compared to iDose4 images. Inter- and intra-observer variance was low: the intraclass coefficient was 0.66 (95% confidence interval = 0.60-0.71) for the three observers. Conclusion IMR provided image quality equivalent or superior to the standard iDose4 method for evaluating pediatric abdominal CT, even with a 32% dose reduction.

Sonographic visualization of the rectoanal inhibitory reflex in children suspected of having Hirschsprung disease: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: To date, for detection of the absence of peristalsis in children with chronic constipation and a suspicion of Hirschsprung disease (HD), children have been investigated with a contrast enema. If the radiographic investigation is inconclusive, anometry and a rectal biopsy are performed. A new noninvasive real-time sonographic method for examination of the rectoanal inhibitory reflex (RAIR) was compared with anometry. METHODS: The rectum and anal canal of children were visualized transperineally on sonography. The RAIR was elicited by injecting water into the rectum, and the events in the bowel were recorded on video for offline analysis. RESULTS: Injection of water initiated a peristaltic wave that moved the rectal contents into the proximal part of the anal canal in healthy children. Among 28 children with suspected HD, 3 showed aganglionosis in their biopsy samples. These 3 children lacked the RAIR according to both sonography and anometry. Both methods had a negative predictive value of 100%. In 17 children, the RAIR was present according to both sonography and anometry, and all of these children had normal histologic findings. In 8 children, sonography did not show the reflex despite normal histologic findings; in 2 of these, the quality of the investigation made the evaluation uncertain. CONCLUSIONS: This pilot study indicates that in children with chronic constipation, a transperineal sonographic examination of the RAIR is comparable to anometry and can facilitate the diagnose of HD.