title: Comparison of eight- versus 16-slice multidetector-row computed tomography for visibility and image quality of coronary segments.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Molecular Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan. cpatq501@hct.zaq.ne.jp
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Maruyama
authors.forename: Tohru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshizumi
authors.forename: Ritsu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tamura
authors.forename: Shigekazu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takashima
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Toyoshima
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Konishi
authors.forename: Shizuya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: Kouichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamasaki
mesh_terms: D017023:Coronary Angiography; D006801:Humans; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*