Comparison of eight- versus 16-slice multidetector-row computed tomography for visibility and image quality of coronary segments.
Ten patients who underwent conventional coronary angiography (CA) were examined with both 8- and 16-slice multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT) angiography within 6 months, and visibility and image quality of 16-slice MDCT-CA were compared with those of 8-slice MDCT-CA directly. In 136 segments determined by conventional CA, 101 (74.3%) and 126 (92.6%) segments were judged assessable by 8- and 16-slice MDCT-CA, respectively. Segment visibility in the right coronary and left circumflex arteries, as well as distal segments and small segments with diameters of <3.0 mm, was higher using 16-slice MDCT-CA than that of 8-slice MDCT-CA. As causes for invisibility in segments considered to be invisible, adjacent structures, as well as small diameters, were reduced by 16-slice MDCT-CA, suggesting that high spatial resolution contributes to higher visibility; however, nonassessable segments due to extensive calcium by 8-slice MDCT-CA were also judged nonassessable by 16-slice MDCT-CA.
Maruyama
Takao
T
Department of Internal Medicine and Molecular Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan. cpatq501@hct.zaq.ne.jp
Yoshizumi
Tohru
T
Tamura
Ritsu
R
Takashima
Shigekazu
S
Toyoshima
Hiroyuki
H
Konishi
Ichiro
I
Yamashita
Shizuya
S
Yamasaki
Kouichi
K
D017023:Coronary Angiography; D006801:Humans; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*