Feasibility of electron beam tomography in diagnosis of congenital heart disease: comparison with echocardiography.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the feasibility of electron beam tomography (EBT) for morphological assessment of congenital heart disease.


METHODS
Sixteen subjects were examined by EBT, transthoracic echocardiography, cardiac cine angiography and surgery. EBT scan was performed using single slice continuous volume mode to acquire high-resolution static image. Double dose contrast medium was injected by bolus technique after measuring scan delay time and calculation of proper injection rate. The results of EBT and echocardiography were compared based on the results of cardiac cine angiography and surgical findings. All anomalous components were evaluated in all subjects and grouped according to major cardiac structures. Statistical analysis was performed to compare two modalities' ability to evaluate the anomalies of major structures.


RESULTS
EBT was more sensitive to evaluate the anomalies of systemic vessels, pulmonary vessels and small systemic arteries such as coronary artery. EBT was less sensitive to identify the abnormality of cardiac valves such as valvular regurgitation. There was no difference of sensitivity in evaluation of cardiac chambers and septa between the two modalities.


CONCLUSIONS
EBT assisted by transthoracic echocardiography is excellent noninvasive modality to diagnose congenital heart disease.
Lee
J J
JJ
Medical Image Processing Laboratory, Diagnostic Radiology, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University Hospital, 50, 2-Ga, Samduk-Dong, Jung-Gu, 700-412, Taegu, South Korea. jonglee@knu.ac.kr
Kang
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D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002932:Cineangiography; D003287:Contrast Media; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007472:Iohexol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D003287:Contrast Media; D007472:Iohexol; C038192:iopromide