Use of low-dose contrast agent in cerebral angiography produces high-quality diagnostic images.

The present study was aimed to study feasibility of low-dose contrast agent in cerebral CT angiography (CTA) to alleviate some side effects and costs associated with routine doses of contrast agent. Sixty patients suspected to have cerebral artery disease were randomly selected to receive either low-dose (60 mL) contrast agent or routine-dose (100 mL) contrast agent. CTA included transverse images, volume rendering (VR), and maximum intensity projection (MIP) images. Developing strength, image noise, and structure display effects of the cerebral artery were compared between groups. The developing strength and image noise of the cerebral artery were equivalent between groups (P > 0.05). No statistical differences were observed in structure display effects of the cerebral artery or in radiological diagnosis between groups (P > 0.05). Application of the low-dose contrast agent is feasible and offers comparable diagnostic capabilities in cerebral CT angiography.