title: Validation of an accurate method for three-dimensional reconstruction and quantitative assessment of volumes, lengths and diameters of coronary vascular branches and segments from biplane angiographic projections.
abstract: The goal of the study was the validation of an accurate method for three-dimensional reconstruction and quantitative assessment of volumes, lengths and diameters of coronary vascular branches and segments from biplane angiographic projections.
  
  
  METHODS
  The accuracy was tested in a complex phantom. In vivo, inter- and intraobserver agreement were assessed by analysis of routine angiograms. The sensitivity was evaluated using angiograms of patients having diagnostic vasoactive pharmacological intervention. Two-dimensional quantitative coronary angiography (2-D QCA) and 3-D QCA were compared concerning the accuracy of diameter evaluation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  3-D QCA yields accurate results (< 3% error) even based on nonorthogonal views, provided that projections parallel to the object are avoided. The inter- and intraobserver variability is < or = 5%. Significant (p < 0.01) changes of the volume (36-39%) and the diameter (19-21%) are detected following pharmacological intervention. 2-D QCA and 3-D QCA agree in short matched segments without foreshortening. 2-D QCA is rather sensitive to foreshortening and not suitable for evaluation of diameters of longer branches or total coronaries.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  3-D QCA permits an accurate, reproducible and sensitive comprehensive three-dimensional geometric analysis of the coronaries and is superior to 2-D QCA with respect to extended diameter evaluation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine/Cardiology, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Charité, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wellnhofer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wahle
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mugaragu
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gross
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Oswald
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fleck
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D015588:Observer Variation; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D015203:Reproducibility of Results