Image Quality Evaluation of Photon Counting CT for Pulmonary Monitoring in Bronchiectasis

Mukholiq Fathunnisa, Eko Hidayanto, Catur Edi Widodo

Abstract


This study evaluates the image quality of Photon-Counting Computed Tomography (PCCT) for pulmonary imaging in bronchiectasis patients using quantitative metrics. A retrospective observational study was conducted using thoracic CT datasets from 20 patients. Image quality was assessed based on mean attenuation, standard deviation (SD), Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR), and Contrast-to-Noise Ratio (CNR) measured in regions of interest (ROI) of the lung, mediastinum, and background. Lung attenuation ranged from −814 to −922 HU, mediastinum from 20 to 57 HU, and background values approached −1000 HU, consistent with expected tissue characteristics. SNR was calculated using an air-referenced formulation to ensure physically meaningful interpretation, while CNR ranged from 29.76 to 319.09, indicating strong contrast performance. Despite variability in image noise, PCCT demonstrated consistent quantitative image quality across patients. These findings suggest that PCCT is capable of providing reliable image quality for pulmonary imaging. Further studies including radiation dose evaluation and comparative analysis with conventional CT systems are required to establish its clinical advantage.

Keywords


Bronchiectasis; Photon-Counting CT; Image Quality; Signal-to-Noise Ratio; Contrast-to-Noise Ratio.

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.52155/ijpsat.v57.2.8198

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