Pulmonary CT Angiography as First-Line Imaging for PE: Image Quality and Radiation Dose Considerations

OBJECTIVE: This article reviews dose reduction techniques in pulmonary CT angiography (CTA) for imaging pulmonary embolism (PE). Dose reduction technologies covered include tube current modulation, kilovoltage modulation, scanning length modification, dynamic z-axis collimation, iterative reconstruction, and dual-energy CT. Age- and weight-specific imaging techniques are suggested. CONCLUSION: Pulmonary CTA plays a vital role in imaging PE. Using dose reduction technologies can provide high-quality diagnostic imaging with a significant reduction in patient dose.