Clinical potentials of the prototype 256-detector row CT-scanner

Rationale and Objectives. To evaluate clinical potentials of the 256-detector row computed tomography (CT) in healthy volunteers. Materials and Methods. Eight healthy males (22-63 years) participated in the present study. They underwent a non-contrast-enhanced examination with a contiguous axial scan mode either for head, chest, abdomen, or pelvis. Dose was the same as routinely used for multislice CT examinations. Image quality was interpreted by three board-certitied radiologists. Results. With the 256-detector row CT, 0.5-0.8 mm isotropic volumetric data could be acquired in one rotation. Main promising findings are as follows. Three-dimensional structures were visualized clearly in the multiple planes without secondary reconstruction, whereas the axial images had nearly the same image quality as conventional CT. Shading or streak artifacts were observed at the edge of the scan region. The latter are also known as Feldkamp artifacts. Coronal chest images showed a motion artifact from the heart beating. Conclusion. The 256-detector row CT promises to be useful in clinical applications with its ability to provide three-dimensional visualization of fine structures. The Feldkamp artifacts observed did not generally affect interpretation of images. Investigations are now continuing on image correction along the craniocaudal direction to improve the overall image quality.