Evaluation of electron beam CT coronary angiography in healthy subjects.
OBJECTIVE
This study evaluated the performance characteristics of electrocardiographically triggered, contrast-enhanced electron beam CT (EBCT) in defining the coronary artery lumen in healthy subjects.


METHODS
The coronary arteries of 11 healthy young men (mean age, 24 years old) were evaluated by contrast-enhanced EBCT. Measured parameters included degree of luminal enhancement, intravascular contrast-to-noise ratio, apparent luminal diameter, and length of continuously visualized lumen (100-H threshold for diameter and length measurements).


RESULTS
Aortic blood pool attenuation was 44 +/- 5 H (mean +/- SD) before and 278 +/- 35 H after IV injection of contrast material. Contrast-to-noise ratios ranged from a high of 10.0 +/- 2.6 in the proximal right coronary artery to a low of 3.2 +/- 2.7 in the distal left circumflex artery, decreasing from proximal to distal within each vessel. Apparent luminal diameters were as follows: left main coronary artery, 4.5 +/- 0.6 mm; left anterior descending artery, 3.7 +/- 0.5 mm; left circumflex artery, 2.9 +/- 0.6 mm; and right coronary artery, 3.5 +/- 0.5 mm. The mean lengths of visualized lumina were as follows: left main coronary artery, 10 +/- 4 mm; left anterior descending artery, 65 +/- 26 mm; left circumflex artery, 45 +/- 20 mm; and right coronary artery, 58 +/- 24 mm.


CONCLUSIONS
EBCT angiography can reveal the lumen of long segments of the major coronary arteries.
Chernoff
D M
DM
Department of Radiology, University of California, San Francisco 94143-0628, USA.
Ritchie
C J
CJ
Higgins
C B
CB
D000328:Adult; D003287:Contrast Media; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007472:Iohexol; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
D003287:Contrast Media; D007472:Iohexol