Dual-Energy CT Pulmonary Angiography: Quantification of Disease Burden and Impact on Management

Purpose of Review

Computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) has become the imaging modality of choice for patients with suspected pulmonary embolism (PE). Post-processing techniques currently available for dual-energy CT pulmonary angiography (DE-CTPA) enhance image quality and provide additional value in the diagnosis of PE. The objective of this article is to summarize these recent developments and discuss the appropriate use of DE-CTPA post-processing applications.

Recent Findings

DE-CTPA post-processing applications enable reconstruction of virtual monoenergetic images (VMI) and color-coded iodine-perfusion maps to increase contrast conditions and visualize lung perfusion defects in case of embolic occlusion of pulmonary arteries. Both techniques revealed a superior diagnostic performance for the detection of pulmonary emboli and assessment of the pulmonary perfusion compared to the standard image reconstructions.

Summary

DE-CTPA is a well-established method for excluding or diagnosing PE. Continued developments in DE-CTPA post-processing techniques improve patient management and allow for a quantification of disease burden.