Patrick Alexander Hein MD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Juliane May, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Patrik Rogalla MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Bernd K. Hamm MD, Abstract Co-Author: Research Consultant, Bayer AG Research Consultant, Toshiba Corporation Stockholder, Siemens AG Stockholder, General Electric Company Stockholder, Biomed Research grant, Toshiba Corporation Research grant, Koninklijke Philips Electronics NV Research grant, Siemens AG Research grant, General Electric Company Research grant, Elbit Medical Imaging Ltd Research grant, Bayer AG Research grant, Guerbet AG Research grant, Bracco Group Research grant, B. Braun Research grant, Knauth Research grant, Boston Group Equipment support, Elbit Medical Imaging Ltd Investigator, Copenhagen Malmo Contrast AB, Lund, Sweden

Alexander Ewald Lembcke MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

To investigate the feasibility of contrast material volume reduction in coronary artery computed tomography angiography (CCTA) using 320-slice volume CT.

Forty consecutive patients (mean age: 55.8 years, range: 27-78 years) underwent CCTA using 320-slice CT (Aquilion One, Toshiba, Japan). Inclusion criteria to the study were: indication for coronary artery imaging, male gender, weight ≤ 85 kg, and a heart rate ≤ 65 bpm. Patients were examined with a standardized (120kV, 400mA), prospectively ECG-triggered single-beat non-spiral CT imaging and contrast injection protocol using different randomely assigned volumes of contrast material (CM; Ultravist 370, Bayer-Schering, Germany). Scanning delay was determined by bolus-tracking technique. Patients were divided into groups (G) according to the administered volume of CM (G1: 40ml, G2: 50ml; G3: 60ml; G4: 70ml). Groups were compared with respect to contrast attenuation, image noise, and image quality of the CT examination assessed in consensus by two experienced cardiac radiologists on a five-point scale.

Mean body weight, body height, calculated body mass index and heart rate did not differ statistically significant between the groups. Mean attenuation in the aortic root was measured with 380 ± 75 HU (mean ± standard deviation) in G1, and with 471 ± 68 HU, 463 ± 60 HU, and 476 ± 78 HU in G2-4, respectively. The statistical analysis for stepwise comparisons yielded significantly lower attenuation values in the aortic root in CTA data of G1 compared to G2 (p<0.017), whereas comparisons G2 vs. G3 and G3 vs. G4 did not reach statistical significance. There were no significant differences between all groups with respect to image noise. However, the qualitative analysis of the images resulted in comparable scorings (range: 1.1 – 1.3) for all four groups with diagnostic image quality in all 40 patients.

Using 320-slice volume CT diagnostic image quality can be achieved even with 40ml volume of contrast material in coronary artery CTA, but for the tested injection protocol best image quality was achieved with at least 50ml volume.

The volume of contrast material can be reduced by using 320-slice volume CT for coronary artery imaging.

Hein, P, May, J, Rogalla, P, Hamm, B, Lembcke, A, Feasibility of Contrast Material Volume Reduction in Coronary Artery Imaging Using 320-Slice Volume CT.  Radiological Society of North America 2009 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 29 - December 4, 2009 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2009/8008721.html