{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,15]],"date-time":"2026-05-15T06:14:28Z","timestamp":1778825668788,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":20,"publisher":"Oxford University Press (OUP)","issue":"1100","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2019,6,20]],"date-time":"2019-06-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1560988800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/journals\/pages\/open_access\/funder_policies\/chorus\/standard_publication_model"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2019,8,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                  <jats:title>Objectives:<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>Focal spot size partially defines spatial resolution of a CT system. Many CT tubes have two focal spot sizes, with the finer one allowing more detailed imaging at the cost of photon intensity and increased heat production. Improved X-ray technology and advancement of various generations of iterative reconstruction allow the use of fine focal spot technique in CT angiography. CT neck angiography (CTNA) has been commonly performed as part of stroke imaging or in the trauma setting. This prospective study aimed to assess the efficacy of fine focal spot scanning in vessel clarity improvement, vessel calcification and arterial pulsation artefact reduction on CTNA.<\/jats:p>\n               <\/jats:sec>\n               <jats:sec>\n                  <jats:title>Methods and materials:<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>Consecutive adult patients of all ages and genders who presented for CTNA were included. All CTNA were scanned with standard focal spot size (SFSS) of 1 \u00d7 1\u2009mm in first 4 months while the CTNA in the following 4 months with fine focal spot size (FFSS) of 0.5 \u00d7 1\u2009mm. Vessel clarity, calcification and arterial pulsation artefact of arch of aorta, brachiocephalic, subclavian, common carotid, carotid bifurcation, internal carotid, external carotid and vertebral arteries were assessed randomly using a 5-point scale by two blinded radiologists. Results were compared.<\/jats:p>\n               <\/jats:sec>\n               <jats:sec>\n                  <jats:title>Results:<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>There were 43 patients (mean age 60) with 97 calcified arterial segments in SFSS and 48 patients (mean age 62) with 113 calcified arterial segments in FFSS. 30 % of patients had &amp;gt; 50% carotid artery stenosis. No occlusion or dissection was found in the remaining arteries. Mann-Whitney test showed FFSS performed significantly better for vessel clarity (U: 48238.50, p &amp;lt; .001,r: 0.556) and calcification artefact reduction (U: 2040.50, p &amp;lt; .001,r: 0.564). There was no significant reduction for arterial pulsation artefact.<\/jats:p>\n               <\/jats:sec>\n               <jats:sec>\n                  <jats:title>Conclusion:<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>Fine focal spot technique improves vessel clarity and reduces calcification blooming artefact in CTNA. These benefits may potentially improve the assessment of arterial luminal stenosis and vessel wall pathology, including plaque morphology.<\/jats:p>\n               <\/jats:sec>\n               <jats:sec>\n                  <jats:title>Advances in knowledge:<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>Beam hardening artefact from calcification particularly in the vessel wall can often reduce the clarity of vessel lumen thus affect accurate assessment of luminal stenosis. Fine focal spot technique has the advantages of reducing beam-hardening artefact of vessel wall calcifications and improving vessel wall clarity, thus it may potentially improve the assessment of arterial luminal stenosis and vessel wall pathology, including plaque morphology. It may become an important CT imaging technique in near future.<\/jats:p>\n               <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1259\/bjr.20190083","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2019,5,21]],"date-time":"2019-05-21T17:17:49Z","timestamp":1558459069000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["Efficacy of fine focal spot technique in CT angiography of neck"],"prefix":"10.1093","volume":"92","author":[{"given":"Lawrence Chia-Wei","family":"Oh","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Monash Health , Clayton, Victoria , Australia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Kenneth Kwok-Pan","family":"Lau","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Monash Health , Clayton, Victoria , Australia"},{"name":"Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University , Clayton, Victoria , Australia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ashwini","family":"Devapalasundaram","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Monash Health , Clayton, Victoria , Australia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Kevin","family":"Buchan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinical Science, Philips Healthcare , Mont Albert, Victoria , Australia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ahilan","family":"Kuganesan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Monash Health , Clayton, Victoria , Australia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Minh","family":"Huynh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Statistics Data Science and Epidemiology, Swinburne University of Technology , Hawthorn, Victoria , Australia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"286","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2019,6,20]]},"reference":[{"key":"2024050214452380400_b1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"91","DOI":"10.3174\/ajnr.A1768","article-title":"Sixty-four-section multidetector CT angiography of carotid arteries: a systematic analysis of image quality and artifacts","volume":"31","author":"Kim","year":"2010","journal-title":"AJNR Am J Neuroradiol"},{"key":"2024050214452380400_b2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2144","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ejrad.2011.05.006","article-title":"Carotid CT-angiography: low versus standard volume contrast media and low kV protocol for 128-slice MDCT","volume":"81","author":"Kayan","year":"2012","journal-title":"Eur J Radiol"},{"key":"2024050214452380400_b3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"603","DOI":"10.1148\/radiol.2412050781","article-title":"Vessel wall calcifications at multi-detector row CT angiography in patients with peripheral arterial disease: effect on clinical utility and clinical predictors","volume":"241","author":"Ouwendijk","year":"2006","journal-title":"Radiology"},{"key":"2024050214452380400_b4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"719","DOI":"10.2214\/ajr.180.3.1800719","article-title":"Multidetector CT angiography of peripheral vascular disease: a prospective comparison with intraarterial digital subtraction angiography","volume":"180","author":"Ofer","year":"2003","journal-title":"AJR Am J Roentgenol"},{"key":"2024050214452380400_b5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1007\/978-1-4614-7073-1","volume-title":"Medical imaging technology","author":"Haidekker","year":"2013","edition":"1st edn"},{"key":"2024050214452380400_b6","volume-title":"The essential physics of medical imaging","author":"Bushberg","year":"2011","edition":"3rd edn"},{"key":"2024050214452380400_b7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"304","DOI":"10.1016\/j.radi.2010.02.007","article-title":"Impact of focal spot size on radiologic image quality: a visual grading analysis","volume":"16","author":"Gorham","year":"2010","journal-title":"Radiography"},{"key":"2024050214452380400_b8","unstructured":"Philips Healthcare\n          \n.\nClinical confidence in action: Philips Ingenuity Core 128 specifications, brochure, Philips Healthcare, The Netherlands\n.\n2011\n. Available from:\nhttp:\/\/www.healthcare.philips.com\/main\/shared\/assets\/multimedia\/imaging20\/pdfs\/NM_Ingenuity_ Core_128_Specs.pdf\n[\nAccessed 4 Jan 2016\n]."},{"key":"2024050214452380400_b9","volume-title":"Fundamentals of diagnostic radiology","author":"Brant","year":"2007"},{"key":"2024050214452380400_b10","volume-title":"Medical image analysis","author":"Dhawan","year":"2010","edition":"2nd edn"},{"key":"2024050214452380400_b11","first-page":"139","article-title":"X-ray imaging physics for nuclear medicine technologists. Part 1: basic principles of x-ray production","volume":"32","author":"Seibert","year":"2004","journal-title":"J Nucl Med Technol"},{"key":"2024050214452380400_b12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"219","DOI":"10.1259\/bjr.74.879.740219","article-title":"Comparison of CT angiography with conventional arterial angiography in aortoiliac occlusive disease","volume":"74","author":"Tins","year":"2001","journal-title":"Br J Radiol"},{"issue":"5 Suppl","key":"2024050214452380400_b13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"S87","DOI":"10.2214\/AJR.12.9114","article-title":"Dual-energy CT: vascular applications","volume":"199","author":"Vlahos","year":"2012","journal-title":"AJR Am J Roentgenol"},{"key":"2024050214452380400_b14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3010","DOI":"10.1007\/s00330-014-3368-6","article-title":"Efficacy of 'fine' focal spot imaging in CT abdominal angiography","volume":"24","author":"Oh","year":"2014","journal-title":"Eur Radiol"},{"key":"2024050214452380400_b15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4545","DOI":"10.1007\/s00330-016-4313-7","article-title":"Fine focal spot size improves image quality in computed tomography abdomen and pelvis","volume":"26","author":"Goh","year":"2016","journal-title":"Eur Radiol"},{"key":"2024050214452380400_b16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"W861","DOI":"10.2214\/AJR.13.10701","article-title":"Hybrid iterative reconstruction algorithm improves image quality in craniocervical CT angiography","volume":"201","author":"L\u00f6ve","year":"2013","journal-title":"AJR Am J Roentgenol"},{"key":"2024050214452380400_b17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"S45","DOI":"10.1148\/rg.26si065508","article-title":"New techniques in CT angiography","volume":"26","author":"Lell","year":"2006","journal-title":"Radiographics"},{"key":"2024050214452380400_b18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"745","DOI":"10.2214\/AJR.13.11207","article-title":"CT angiography of the upper extremity arterial system: part 1-Anatomy, technique, and use in trauma patients","volume":"201","author":"Bozlar","year":"2013","journal-title":"AJR Am J Roentgenol"},{"key":"2024050214452380400_b19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"414","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ejrad.2008.09.016","article-title":"Dual energy CT of peripheral arteries: effect of automatic bone and plaque removal on image quality and grading of stenoses","volume":"68","author":"Meyer","year":"2008","journal-title":"Eur J Radiol"},{"key":"2024050214452380400_b20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"761","DOI":"10.1118\/1.1567271","article-title":"Removal of arterial wall calcifications in CT angiography by local subtraction","volume":"30","author":"van Straten","year":"2003","journal-title":"Med Phys"}],"container-title":["The British Journal of Radiology"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/bjr\/article-pdf\/92\/1100\/20190083\/57378537\/bjr.20190083.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"syndication"},{"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/bjr\/article-pdf\/92\/1100\/20190083\/57378537\/bjr.20190083.pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,2]],"date-time":"2024-05-02T15:00:45Z","timestamp":1714662045000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/bjr\/article\/doi\/10.1259\/bjr.20190083\/7448998"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2019,6,20]]},"references-count":20,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1100","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2019,6,20]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2019,8,1]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1259\/bjr.20190083","relation":{},"ISSN":["0007-1285","1748-880X"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0007-1285","type":"print"},{"value":"1748-880X","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published-other":{"date-parts":[[2019,8,1]]},"published":{"date-parts":[[2019,6,20]]},"article-number":"20190083"}}