Quantitative assessment of myocardial enhancement with iodinated contrast medium in patients with ischemic heart disease by using ultrafast x-ray computed tomography.
OBJECTIVE
The authors report the quantitation of myocardial enhancement using iodinated contrast medium in patients with ischemic heart disease. Twenty-eight patients with chronic ischemic heart disease and 11 controls were examined by ultrafast computed tomography (CT) using 100-msecond scans.


METHODS
The authors analyzed M/L (ratio of post-contrast incremental increases in the left ventricular myocardial and luminal CT number) in early and late phases after contrast injection.


RESULTS
In controls, mean values of early and late M/L were 30% and 51%, respectively. In infarcted or severely ischemic segments, early M/Ls (19%, 16%) were significantly small (P less than .001), whereas late M/Ls (90%, 63%) were higher (P less than .001, .01) than controls. Segments with infarction or severe ischemia were differentiated from mild or nonsignificant ischemia by using this parameter (sensitivity, 99%; specificity, 88%).


CONCLUSIONS
M/L is useful for detection of the ischemic myocardium.
Naito
H
H
Department of Analytical Radiology, Osaka University Medical School, Japan.
Saito
H
H
Takamiya
M
M
Hamada
S
S
Yamada
N
N
Imakita
S
S
Ohta
M
M
Kimura
K
K
Tamura
S
S
D003287:Contrast Media; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
D003287:Contrast Media