A Comprehensive Review of GAN-Based Denoising Models for Low-Dose Computed Tomography Images

Computed Tomography (CT) offers great visualization of the intricate internal body structures. To protect a patient from the potential radiation-related health risks, the acquisition of CT images should adhere to the “as low as reasonably allowed” (ALARA) standard. However, the acquired Low-dose CT (LDCT) images are inadvertently corrupted by artifacts and noise during the processes of acquisition, storage, and transmission, degrading the visual quality of the image and also causing the loss of image features and relevant information. Most recently, generative adversarial network (GAN) models based on deep learning (DL) have demonstrated ground-breaking performance to minimize image noise while maintaining high image quality. These models’ ability to adapt to uncertain noise distributions and representation-learning ability makes them highly desirable for the denoising of CT images. The state-of-the-art GANs used for LDCT image denoising have been comprehensively reviewed in this research paper. The aim of this paper is to highlight the potential of DL-based GAN for CT dose optimization and present future scope of research in the domain of LDCT image denoising.