Impact of scanning direction on heart rate at certain levels of heart in electrocardiogram-gated 16-multidetector computed tomography angiography of coronary artery bypass grafts.
OBJECTIVE
To assess impact of scanning direction on heart rates at certain levels of heart in electrocardiogram-gated 16-multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) detection of coronary artery bypass grafts and native coronary arteries.


METHODS
Ninety patients with 219 grafts were studied by 16-MDCT. Forty-five patients were scanned craniocaudally. The remaining 45 patients were scanned caudocranially. Heart rates at each level were noted and compared between the 2 groups.


RESULTS
The difference between mean heart rates of craniocaudal and caudocranial groups was found to be statistically significant at midcardiac, internal mammary artery origin, and cardiac base levels (P < 0.05). For the remaining levels, there was no statistically significant difference in mean heart rates.


CONCLUSIONS
Performing electrocardiogram-gated 16-MDCT angiography for the evaluation of coronary arteries and bypass grafts in caudocranial direction provides lower heart rate at midcardiac and cardiac base levels of the heart, which are more prone to motion artifacts.
Hazirolan
Tuncay
T
Department of Radiology, Hacettepe University School of Medicine, Ankara 06100, Turkey.
Turkbey
Baris
B
Karcaaltincaba
Musturay
M
Akata
Deniz
D
Sahiner
Levent
L
Aytemir
Kudret
K
Oto
M Ali
MA
Arslan
Umut
U
Balkanci
Ferhun
F
Besim
Aytekin
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed