THE IMPACT OF HEAD POSITIONING ON THE IMAGE QUALITY OF MULTI-DETECTOR COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY

Abstract

Radiologic technologists face various types of patients during multi-detector computed tomography (CT) examinations. In emergency departments, it is common to have patients who cannot follow instructions for the examinations. The asymmetric axial view of the head CT might affect the correctness of the clinician’s diagnosis. This study aimed to assess the impact of head positioning on the image quality of head CT using two phantoms. All scans were performed on a 16-slice CT scanner. In the control group, the tilted angle of the phantoms was 0[Formula: see text], and no multiplanar reconstruction (MPR) was performed. In the experimental groups, the tilted angles of the phantoms were 5[Formula: see text], 10[Formula: see text] and 15[Formula: see text], respectively, and MPR was performed afterwards. The results showed that if the head was tilted during the head CT examinations, image asymmetry and artifacts appeared without MPR. After MPR, one phantom showed that there were significant differences and the other phantom showed no significant differences quantitatively in image symmetry and artifacts between experimental groups and the control group, while both phantoms showed no significant differences qualitatively in image symmetry and artifacts between experimental groups and the control group. Although MPR can correct the image asymmetry and artifacts caused by tilted head positioning to some extent, it consumes time. Therefore, technologists should position the head as exactly as possible when performing head CT examinations.