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Rizzo S, Bellesi L, D'Ermo A, Bonomo L, D'Ecclesiis O, Magoga F, Presilla S, Spanò A, Minzolini V, Lo Piccolo F, Heinkel J, Rezzonico E, Del Grande M, Merli M, Del Grande F. Body CT examinations in oncologic patients: the impact of subspecialty radiology on radiation exposure in the clinical practice. A quality care study. Radiol Med 2024; 129:429-438. [PMID: 38341817 PMCID: PMC10943144 DOI: 10.1007/s11547-024-01790-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/13/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSES The primary objective of this retrospective study was to assess whether the CT dose delivered to oncologic patients was different in a subspecialty radiology department, compared to a general radiology department. The secondary explorative objective was to assess whether the objective image quality of CT examinations was different in the two settings. MATERIALS AND METHODS Chest and abdomen CT scans performed for oncologic indications were selected from a general radiology department and a subspecialty radiology department. By using a radiation dose management platform, we extracted and compared CT dose index (CTDIvol) and dose length product (DLP) both for each phase and for the entire CT exams. For objective image quality evaluation, we calculated the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) at the level of the liver and of the aorta. A P-value < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS A total of 7098 CT examinations were included. CTDIvol was evaluated in 12,804 phases; DLP in 10,713 phases and in 6714 examinations. The CTDIvol and DLP overall were significantly lower in the subspecialty radiology department compared to the general radiology department CTDI median (IQR) 5.19 (3.91-7.00) and 5.51 (4.17-7.72), DLP median and IQR of 490.0 (342.4-710.6) and 503.4 (359.9-728.8), p < 0.001 and p = 0.01, respectively. The objective image quality showed no significant difference in the general and subspecialty radiology departments, with median and IQR of 4.03 (2.82-5.51) and 3.84 (3.09-4.94) for SNRLiv (p = 0.58); 4.81 (2.70-7.62) and 4.34 (3.05-6.25) for SNRAo (p = 0.30); 0.83 (0.20-1.89) and 1.00 (0.35-1.57) for CNRLiv (p = 0.99); 2.23 (0.09-3.83) and 1.01 (0.15-2.84) for CNRAo (p = 0.24) with SNRLiv (p = 0.58), SNRAo (p = 0.30), CNRLiv (p = 0.99) and CNRAo (p = 0.24). CONCLUSION In a subspecialty radiology department, CT protocols are optimized compared to a general radiology department leading to lower doses to oncologic patients without significant objective image quality degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Rizzo
- Clinic of Radiology, Imaging Institute of Southern Switzerland (IIMSI), Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC), Via Tesserete 46, 6900, Lugano, Switzerland.
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università Della Svizzera Italiana (USI), Via G. Buffi 13, 6904, Lugano, Switzerland.
| | - Luca Bellesi
- Service of Medical Physics, Maging Institute of Southern Switzerland (IIMSI), Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC), Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Andrea D'Ermo
- Service of Process Organization and Information, EOC, Support Area, Via Lugano 4D, 6500, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Luca Bonomo
- Clinic of Radiology, Imaging Institute of Southern Switzerland (IIMSI), Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC), Via Tesserete 46, 6900, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Oriana D'Ecclesiis
- Department of Experimental Oncology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesco Magoga
- Clinic of Radiology, Imaging Institute of Southern Switzerland (IIMSI), Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC), Via Tesserete 46, 6900, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Stefano Presilla
- Service of Medical Physics, Maging Institute of Southern Switzerland (IIMSI), Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC), Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Arturo Spanò
- Clinic of Radiology, Imaging Institute of Southern Switzerland (IIMSI), Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC), Via Tesserete 46, 6900, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Veronica Minzolini
- Clinic of Radiology, Imaging Institute of Southern Switzerland (IIMSI), Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC), Via Tesserete 46, 6900, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Francesca Lo Piccolo
- Clinic of Radiology, Imaging Institute of Southern Switzerland (IIMSI), Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC), Via Tesserete 46, 6900, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Jurgen Heinkel
- Clinic of Radiology, Imaging Institute of Southern Switzerland (IIMSI), Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC), Via Tesserete 46, 6900, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Ermidio Rezzonico
- Clinic of Radiology, Imaging Institute of Southern Switzerland (IIMSI), Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC), Via Tesserete 46, 6900, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Maria Del Grande
- Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, EOC, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Matteo Merli
- Clinic of Radiology, Imaging Institute of Southern Switzerland (IIMSI), Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC), Via Tesserete 46, 6900, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Filippo Del Grande
- Clinic of Radiology, Imaging Institute of Southern Switzerland (IIMSI), Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC), Via Tesserete 46, 6900, Lugano, Switzerland
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università Della Svizzera Italiana (USI), Via G. Buffi 13, 6904, Lugano, Switzerland
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Rizzo S, Catanese C, Puligheddu C, Epistolio S, Ramelli G, Frattini M, Pereira Mestre R, Nadarajah N, Rezzonico E, Magoga F, Milan L, Del Grande F, Giovanella L, Ceriani L. CT evaluation of lung infiltrates in the two months preceding the Coronavirus disease 19 pandemic in Canton Ticino (Switzerland): were there suspicious cases before the official first case? Radiol Med 2022; 127:360-368. [PMID: 35247133 PMCID: PMC8897725 DOI: 10.1007/s11547-022-01466-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Purpose The main objective of this study was to assess the presence of pulmonary infiltrates with computed tomography (CT) appearance compatible with infection by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), in Canton Ticino in the 2 months preceding the first official case. Secondary aims were to compare the classification of infiltrates in the same time frame in 2020 and 2019; to compare the number of chest CT scans in the same period; to search for pathological confirmation of the virus. Materials and methods Chest CT scans performed between January 1 and February 24 in 2019 and 2020 were collected and classified by COVID-19 Reporting and Data System (CO-RADS). Pathological presence of the virus was searched for when appropriate material was available. Results The final cohort included 881 patients. Among the CO-RADS 3 and 4 categories, 30 patients had pneumonitis of unknown etiology. Pathological specimens were available in six patients but they were negative for COVID-19. Conclusion Before the first official case of COVID-19 infection, in Canton Ticino there were about 30 cases of pneumonitis of uncertain origin, with CT appearance compatible with infection by COVID-19, but with no confirmation of the disease. The number of chest CT scans in the first two months of 2020 was > 12% compared to 2019.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Rizzo
- Imaging Institute of Southern Switzerland (IIMSI), Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC), Via Tesserete 46, 6900, Lugano, Switzerland. .,Facoltà Di Scienze Biomediche, Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Lugano, Switzerland.
| | - Carola Catanese
- Imaging Institute of Southern Switzerland (IIMSI), Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC), Via Tesserete 46, 6900, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Carla Puligheddu
- Imaging Institute of Southern Switzerland (IIMSI), Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC), Via Tesserete 46, 6900, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Samantha Epistolio
- Istituto Cantonale Di Patologia (ICP), Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC), Locarno, Switzerland
| | - Giulia Ramelli
- Istituto Cantonale Di Patologia (ICP), Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC), Locarno, Switzerland
| | - Milo Frattini
- Istituto Cantonale Di Patologia (ICP), Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC), Locarno, Switzerland
| | - Ricardo Pereira Mestre
- Service of Medical Oncology, Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC), Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Navarajah Nadarajah
- Imaging Institute of Southern Switzerland (IIMSI), Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC), Via Tesserete 46, 6900, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Ermidio Rezzonico
- Imaging Institute of Southern Switzerland (IIMSI), Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC), Via Tesserete 46, 6900, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Francesco Magoga
- Imaging Institute of Southern Switzerland (IIMSI), Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC), Via Tesserete 46, 6900, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Lisa Milan
- Imaging Institute of Southern Switzerland (IIMSI), Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC), Via Tesserete 46, 6900, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Filippo Del Grande
- Imaging Institute of Southern Switzerland (IIMSI), Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC), Via Tesserete 46, 6900, Lugano, Switzerland.,Facoltà Di Scienze Biomediche, Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Luca Giovanella
- Imaging Institute of Southern Switzerland (IIMSI), Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC), Via Tesserete 46, 6900, Lugano, Switzerland.,University Hospital of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Luca Ceriani
- Imaging Institute of Southern Switzerland (IIMSI), Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC), Via Tesserete 46, 6900, Lugano, Switzerland.,Facoltà Di Scienze Biomediche, Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Lugano, Switzerland
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