Ling-Ling Gu, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Hong Yu MD, PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Shiyuan Liu PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Yan Jiang MD, Presenter: Employee, Koninklijke Philips NV

To compare the image quality of coronary CT angiography with severely calcified vessels between knowledge based iterative reconstruction (IMR, Philips Healthcare) and traditional filtered back projection (FBP) techniques.

43 consecutive patients (27 male and 16 female; mean age 57.3 years) with Agatston scores of at least 400 were scanned with a retrospective ECG-gated helical technique using a 256-MDCT scanner. Image data were reconstructed with both FBP and IMR techniques. Image quality evaluation was performed by two radiologists blindly according to the following features: lumen edge sharpness, contrast between vessels and surrounding tissue, blooming artifacts from calcified plaques, overall diagnostic confidence, using a five-point scale (1[poor] to 5 [excellent]).The subjective scores and image noise were compared by using paired-t test. 

IMR was better than FBP in lumen edge sharpness and vessel to surrounding tissue contrast (p<0.01). Blooming artifacts from plaques were reduced by IMR compared to FBP (p<0.01). There was no difference in overall diagnostic confidence between IMR and FBP images. Noise was reduced significantly by IMR (p<0.01).

By enhancing lumen edge sharpness and vessel tosurrounding tissue contrast, while reducing blooming artifacts, IMR may improve the diagnostic accuracy of coronary CT angiography for severely calcified vessels.

By enhancing lumen edge sharpness and vessel to surrounding tissue contrast, while reducing blooming artifacts, IMR may improve the diagnostic accuracy of coronary CT angiography for severely calcified vessels

Gu, L, Yu, H, Liu, S, Jiang, Y, Comparison of Image Quality between Knowledge Based Iterative Reconstruction and Filtered Back Projection Techniques in Evaluation of Severe Calcified Vessels with Coronary CT Angiography.  Radiological Society of North America 2014 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, - ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2014/14016002.html