HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Seifarth, H. Articles by Fischbach, R. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Seifarth, H. Articles by Fischbach, R. Social Bookmarking                      What's this?

Optimal Systolic and Diastolic Reconstruction Windows for Coronary CT Angiography Using Dual-Source CT

¹ Department of Clinical Radiology, University of Muenster, Albert-Schweitzer-Strasse 33, 8149 Muenster, Germany.
² Department of Cardiology, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to determine the position of the optimal systolic and diastolic reconstruction intervals for coronary CT angiography using dual-source CT.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS. In 90 patients, coronary dual-source CT angiography was performed without ß-blocking agents. Data were reconstructed in 5% steps throughout the R-R interval. Two independent readers selected optimal systolic and diastolic reconstruction windows for each major coronary vessel—the right coronary artery (RCA), left anterior descending artery (LAD), and left circumflex artery (LCX)—using a 3D viewer and volume-rendering displays. The motion score for each vessel was graded from 1 (no motion artifacts) to 5 (severe motion artifacts over entire vessel).

RESULTS. The average heart rate of all patients was 68.7 beats per minute (bpm) (range, 43–119 bpm). The median optimal systolic reconstruction windows were at 35%, 30%, and 35% for the RCA, LAD, and LCX, respectively. The median optimal diastolic reconstruction window was at 75% for all vessels. The mean motion scores (± SD) in the systolic reconstructions were 1.9 ± 0.8 (RCA), 1.7 ± 0.5 (LAD), and 2.0 ± 0.6 (LCX). The mean motion scores for the diastolic reconstructions were 1.7 ± 0.9, 1.5 ± 0.6, and 1.6 ± 0.7, respectively. In patients with a heart rate of < 70 bpm, motion scores were significantly lower in diastole versus systole (1.3 ± 0.4 and 1.9 ± 0.5, respectively; p < 0.01). In most patients with a heart rate of > 80 bpm, motion scores were lower in systolic than in diastolic reconstructions (2.1 ± 0.6 and 2.6 ± 0.8, respectively; p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION. Using dual-source CT, the overall optimal reconstruction window is at 75% of the R-R interval in patients with low or intermediate heart rates. In patients with heart rates of > 80 bpm, systolic reconstructions often yield superior image quality compared with diastolic reconstructions.

Keywords: coronary artery stenosis • coronary arteries • CT angiography • dual-source CT • heart disease • motion artifacts

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				D. Oncel, G. Oncel, A. Tastan, and B. Tamci Evaluation of Coronary Stent Patency and In-Stent Restenosis with Dual-Source CT Coronary Angiography Without Heart Rate Control Am. J. Roentgenol., July 1, 2008; 191(1): 56 - 63. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. M. Colletti Coronary CT Angiography Without {beta}-Blockers Am. J. Roentgenol., December 1, 2007; 189(6): 1324 - 1325. [Full Text] [PDF]