Quantitative comparison of weighted Feldkamp FBP full-scan and half-scan algorithms for contrast-enhanced CT breast imaging

Dedicated CT breast imaging using a flat-panel detector system holds great promise for improving the detection and diagnosis of early stage breast cancer. It is currently unclear whether dedicated CTBI systems will be useful for screening of the general population. Possibly a more realistic goal will be contrast-enhanced, flat-panel CTBI to assist in the diagnostic workup of suspected breast cancer patients. It has been suggested that the specificity of CE-CTBI can be improved by acquiring a dynamic sequence of CT images, characterizing the lesion enhancement pattern. To make dynamic CE-CTBI feasible, it is important to perform very fast CT acquisitions, with minimal radiation dose. One technique for reducing the time required for CT acquisitions, is to use a half-scan cone-beam acquisition, requiring a scan of 180° plus the detector width. In addition to achieving a shorter CT scan, half-scan acquisition can provide a number of benefits in CTBI system design. This study compares different half-scan reconstruction methods with a focus on evaluating the quantitative performance in estimating the CT number of iodinated contrast enhanced lesions. Results indicate that half-scan cone-beam acquisition can be used with little loss in quantitative accuracy.