Electron-beam CT angiography with three-dimensional reconstruction in the evaluation of coronary artery bypass grafts.
OBJECTIVE
The authors evaluated the use of electron-beam computed tomographic (CT) angiography and three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction for evaluation of coronary artery bypass grafts (CABGs).


METHODS
Sixty patients (53 men and seven women; mean age, 56 years +/- 8) with 152 CABGs (29 internal mammary artery and 123 saphenous vein grafts) underwent electron-beam CT with 3D reconstruction. The time from bypass surgery to CT scanning was 7 days to 120 months (mean, 17 months +/- 28). Enhanced single-section and flow mode studies were performed in all cases. The results were correlated with CABG operation records, and patency was determined with time-attenuation curves.


RESULTS
All patients were successfully examined. On the basis of time-attenuation curve criteria, 124 (81.6%) of 152 grafts were patent. The patency rate for the internal mammary artery subgroup was 93% (27 of 29 grafts); for the saphenous vein graft subgroup, 78.9% (97 of 123 grafts).


CONCLUSIONS
Used in contrast-enhanced, single-section mode and flow studies with time-attenuation curves, electron-beam CT angiography with 3D reconstruction can provide quantitative data for evaluation of CABG patency.
Dai
R
R
Department of Radiology, Cardiovascular Institute, Beijing, China.
Zhang
S
S
Lu
B
B
Cao
C
C
He
S
S
Bai
H
H
Jing
B
B
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D003326:Coronary Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D008323:Mammary Arteries / Q000637:transplantation; D008875:Middle Aged; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement; D012501:Saphenous Vein / Q000637:transplantation; D015607:Stents; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D014654:Vascular Patency