Reduced time CT perfusion acquisitions are sufficient to measure the permeability surface area product with a deconvolution method

Objective. To reduce the radiation dose, reduced time CT perfusion (CTp) acquisitions are tested to measure permeability surface (PS) with a deconvolution method. Methods and Materials. PS was calculated with repeated measurements (n = 305) while truncating the time density curve (TDC) at different time values in 14 CTp studies using CTp 4D software (GE Healthcare, Milwaukee, WI, US). The median acquisition time of CTp studies was 59.35 sec (range 49-92 seconds). To verify the accuracy of the deconvolution algorithm, a variation of the truncated PS within the error measurements was searched, that is, within 3 standard deviations from the mean nominal error provided by the software. The test was also performed for all the remaining CTp parameters measured. Results. PS maximum variability happened within 25 seconds. The PS became constant after 40 seconds for the majority of the active tumors (10/11), while for necrotic tissues it was consistent within 1% after 50 seconds. A consistent result lasted for all the observed CTp parameters, as expected from their analytical dependance. Conclusion. 40-second acquisition time could be an optimal compromise to obtain an accurate measurement of the PS and a reasonable dose exposure with a deconvolution method