Yun Jung Bae MD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Eun Ju Chun, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Kwang Nam Jin MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Jeong A Kim MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Sang Il Choi MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

To retrospectively evaluate the prevalence and clinical significance of incidental noncardiac findings on cardiac computed tomography (CCT) in asymptomatic individuals according to different field-of-view (FOV) settings.

The institutional review board approved this retrospective study and waived the requirement for patient consent. A total of 10, 508 consecutive subjects (59.5% male; mean age, 53.3 ± 11.21 years) underwent ECG-gated CCT with 64-slice MDCT between January 2006 and December 2008 for health screening purpose. The prevalence of noncardiac findings was evaluated according to different FOVs – limited FOV (L-FOV) versus full FOV (F-FOV) at cardiac scanning. Noncardiac findings were categorized as clinically significant, indeterminate, or clinically insignificant. Patient follow-up was performed by hospital records and/or communication with physicians.

The prevalence of noncardiac findings was 40.9% (4,298 of 10,508 patients) in the F- FOV, which was significantly higher than that of 12.89% (1,355 of 10,508 patietns) in the L-FOV (P < 0.05). Clinically significant findings were detected at 356 patients (3.4%) in the F-FOV and 198 patients (1.8%) in the L-FOV, respectively. During a median of 30 months follow-up (range: 1-60 months), 19 indeterminate findings were diagnosed as malignant lesions. Among them, only 4 lesions were detected in the L-FOV.

The prevalence of noncardiac findings on CCT is not negligible. Not only the limited FOV but the full FOV at cardiac scanning need to be performed not to miss the clinically significant noncardiac findings in asymptomatic individuals without additional radiation exposure.

Minimizing the missing lesions at minimum radiation exposure is important in asymptomatic individuals, which is why we’d better use full FOV at cardiac scanning without additional radiation exposure.

Bae, Y, Chun, E, Jin, K, Kim, J, Choi, S, Prevalence and Clinical Impact of Noncardiac Findings on Cardiac Computed Tomography in Asymtomatic Individuals according to Different Field-of-View Settings: Preliminary Report.  Radiological Society of North America 2011 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 26 - December 2, 2011 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2011/11013325.html