Coronary artery calcium score: influence of reconstruction interval at 16-detector row CT with retrospective electrocardiographic gating.
In 30 patients, Agatston and volumetric scores were assessed by using retrospectively gated multi-detector row computed tomography (CT). For each patient, 10 data sets were created at different times and were evenly spaced throughout the cardiac cycle. For each reconstruction, patients were assigned a percentile that described the level of cardiovascular risk. Nineteen (63%) of 30 patients could be assigned to more than one risk group depending on the reconstruction interval used. Agatston and volumetric scores both proved highly dependent on the reconstruction interval used (coefficient of variation, < or =63.1%) even with the most advanced CT scanners. Accurate and reproducible quantification of coronary calcium seems to require analysis of multiple reconstructions.
Departments of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Cardiology, University Hospital, Hufelandstr 55, 45122 Essen, Germany.
Thomas
T
Schlosser
Peter
P
Hunold
Axel
A
Schmermund
Hilmar
H
Kühl
Kai-Uwe
KU
Waltering
Jörg F
JF
Debatin
Jörg
J
Barkhausen
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002118:Calcium / Q000032:analysis*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015898:Tomography Scanners, X-Ray Computed; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods
D002118:Calcium