title: Noninvasive coronary angiography with multislice computed tomography.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Multislice computed tomography (MSCT) has recently evolved as a modality for noninvasive coronary imaging.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the accuracy and robustness of MSCT vs the criterion standard of invasive coronary angiography for detection of obstructive coronary artery disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, single-center study conducted in a referral center setting in Germany and enrolling 103 consecutive patients (mean age, 61.5 [SD, 9.7] years) from November 2003-August 2004 who were undergoing both invasive coronary angiography and MSCT using a scanner with 16 detector rows.
  
  
  METHODS
  Blinded results for both modalities compared using the patient as the primary unit of analysis, with supplementary segment- and vessel-based analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One thousand three hundred eighty-four segments (> or =1.5 mm diameter) were identified by invasive coronary angiography; nondiagnostic image quality of MSCT was identified for only 88 (6.4%) of these segments, mainly due to faster heart rates. Compared with invasive coronary angiography for detection of significant lesions (>50% stenosis), segment-based sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of MSCT were 95%, 98%, 87%, and 99%, respectively. Quantitative comparison of MSCT and invasive coronary angiography showed good correlation (r = 0.87, P<.001), with MSCT systematically measuring greater-percentage stenoses (bias, +12%). In the patient-based analysis, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.97 (95% confidence interval, 0.90-1.00), indicating high discriminative power to identify patients who might be candidates for revascularization (>50% left main artery stenosis and/or >70% stenosis in any other epicardial vessel). Threshold optimization allowed either detection of these patients with 100% sensitivity at a reasonable false-positive rate (specificity, 76.5%; MSCT stenosis, >66%) or optimization of both the sensitivity and specificity (>90%; MSCT stenosis, >76%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Multislice computed tomography provides high accuracy for noninvasive detection of suspected obstructive coronary artery disease. This promising technology has potential to complement diagnostic invasive coronary angiography in routine clinical care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University Hospital, Ulm, Germany. martin.hoffmann@medizin.uni-ulm.de
authors.forename: Martin H K
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.forename: Heshui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Bernd L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Schmitz
authors.forename: Florian T
authors.initials: FT
authors.lastname: Schmid
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lieberknecht
authors.forename: Ralph
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schulze
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ludwig
authors.forename: Ulf
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kroschel
authors.forename: Norbert
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jahnke
authors.forename: Winfried
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Haerer
authors.forename: Hans-Juergen
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Brambs
authors.forename: Andrik J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Aschoff
mesh_terms: D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*