Effect of various environments and computed tomography scanning parameters on renal volume measurements : A phantom study.

Kidney volume is an important parameter in clinical practice, and accurate assessment of kidney volume is vital. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of various environments, tube voltages, tube currents and slice thicknesses on the accuracy of a novel segmentation software in determining renal volume on computed tomography (CT) images. The volumes of potatoes and porcine kidneys were measured on CT images and compared with the actual volumes, which were determined by a water displacement method. CT scans were performed under various situations, including different environments (air or oil); tube voltages/tube currents (80 kVp/200 mAs, 120 kVp/200 mAs, 120 kVp/100 mAs); and reconstructed slice thicknesses (0.75 or 1.5 mm). Percentage errors (PEs) relative to the reference standards were calculated. In addition, attenuation and image noise under different CT scanning parameters were compared. Student's t-test was also used to analyze the effect of various conditions on image quality and volume measurements. The results indicated that the volumes measured in oil were closer to the actual volumes (P<0.05). Furthermore, attenuation and image noise significantly increased when using a tube voltage of 80 kVp, while the mean PEs between 120 and 80 kVp voltages were not significantly different. The mean PEs were greater when using a tube current of 100 mAs compared with a current of 200 mAs (P<0.05). In addition, the volumes measured on 1.5 mm slice thickness were closer to the actual volumes (P<0.05). In conclusion, different environments, tube currents and slice thicknesses may affect the volume measurements. In the present study, the most accurate volume measurements were obtained at 120 kVp/200 mAs and a slice thickness of 1.5 mm.