Potential of gadolinium as contrast material in second generation dual energy computed tomography - An ex vivo phantom study

Using monoenergetic extrapolation at 40 keV, it is possible to increase Gd-CM attenuation significantly. Thus, equivalent HU and half the SNR in comparison to a standard dose of ICM at 120 kV can be expected at a Gd-CM dose of 0.5 mmol/kg BW. Post-processing features of iodine based DECT like monoenergetic or VNC images, iodine maps or quantification of CM are feasible with the use of Gd-CM.