New Horizons in Vascular Imaging With Photon-Counting Detector CT

Noninvasive vascular imaging with computed tomography (CT) has become the clinical mainstay for many indications and body regions. The recent introduction of photon-counting detector (PCD)-CT into clinical routine has further broadened the spectrum of vascular applications. Technical improvements of PCD-CT, such as the decreased noise levels, improved contrast-to-noise ratio, and full spectral multienergy data information from every acquisition, have the potential to further impact on clinical decision making and ultimately on outcome of vascular patients. Early experience with the new PCD-CT technology demonstrates these improvements in various aspects. This review summarizes the main advantages of PCD-CT for vascular imaging a discussion of the PureLumen and PureCalcium algorithms.

Automated summary

Noninvasive vascular imaging with CT has become essential in clinical practice, and the introduction of PCD-CT has further expanded its applications. Technical improvements of PCD-CT, including reduced noise levels, improved contrast-to-noise ratio, and full spectral multienergy data, have the potential to impact clinical decision making and patient outcomes. Early experience with PCD-CT technology has shown these improvements in various aspects. This review summarizes the advantages of PCD-CT for vascular imaging and discusses the PureLumen and PureCalcium algorithms.