Use of Dual-Energy CT for Quantification of Essential Trace Metals (Iron, Copper, and Zinc): Proof of Concept

Abstract

OBJECTIVE. Altered concentrations of essential trace metals have been associated with the development of abdominal tumors. We developed a method to quantify trace metals (iron, copper, and zinc) using monochromatic data from commercially available dual-energy CT (DECT) implementations. CONCLUSION. Our data provide a foundation for the use of DECT for noninvasive quantification of essential trace metals. Minimum detectable concentrations of iron and zinc estimated with DECT overlap with in vivo hepatic concentrations reported in the literature.