Spiral versus electron-beam CT for coronary artery calcium scoring.
OBJECTIVE
To determine differences in coronary artery calcium detection, quantification, and reproducibility, as measured at electron-beam computed tomography (CT) and subsecond spiral CT with retrospective electrocardiogram gating in an asymptomatic adult population.


METHODS
Seventy subjects asymptomatic for coronary heart disease underwent both electron-beam CT and subsecond spiral CT. In all subjects, two images each were obtained with both scanners. Two experienced readers using three different algorithms scored each of the four scans: one score for the electron-beam CT images and two scores for the spiral CT images.


RESULTS
With a 130-HU threshold for the quantification of calcium, there were no significant differences in interscan and interobserver variation in calcium scores between the electron-beam CT and spiral CT images. There was greater interobserver (P <.001) and interscan (P <.03) variation in scores when a 90-HU threshold was used for spiral CT images. With a 130-HU threshold, when calcium scores were used for clinical risk stratification, there was a significant difference between the results obtained with electron-beam CT and those obtained with spiral CT (P <.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Spiral CT has not yet proved to be a feasible alternative to electron-beam CT for coronary artery calcium quantification. There are systematic differences between calcium scores obtained with single-detector array subsecond spiral CT and those obtained with electron-beam CT.
Goldin
J G
JG
Department of Radiological Sciences, UCLA School of Medicine, 10833 Le Conte Ave, CHS B2-200, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1721, USA. jgoldin@mednet.ucla.edu
Yoon
H C
HC
Greaser
L E
LE
Heinze
S B
SB
McNitt-Gray
M M
MM
Brown
M S
MS
Sayre
J W
JW
Emerick
A M
AM
Aberle
D R
DR
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002118:Calcium / Q000032:analysis*; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
D002118:Calcium