Imaging processing for CT angiography of the cervicocranial arteries: evaluation of reformatting technique.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to compare computed tomography angiography (CTA) sliding-thin-slab (STS) multiplanar reformatting (MPR), STS maximum intensity projection (MIP) and three-dimensional (3D) volume rendering (VR) reformatting techniques in the evaluation of cervicocranial arteries.


METHODS
Twenty patients examined with multislice CT were included in this study. CTA images were reformatted as STS-MIP, STS-MPR and 3DVR in orthogonal planes and in the oblique-coronal plane. Images were evaluated in consensus by two radiologists, with a third radiologist to resolve discordances in grading image quality parameters. The Spearman correlation analysis was performed to compare results and to obtain the correlation between scores resulting from the evaluation of parameters considered with the different techniques used (STSMIP, STS-MPR and 3DVR).


RESULTS
STS-MIP images were significantly superior to STSMPR images for all parameters considered (p<0.05). Obliquecoronal 3DVR images were significantly superior to obliquecoronal STS-MIP images in the evaluation of vertebrobasilar vessels (p<0.05); in all other cases, 3DVR images were equivalent to STS-MIP images.


CONCLUSIONS
STS-MIP images should be the primary reformatting technique for CTA of the cervicocranial arteries in addition to viewing the source images; 3DVR images can play an important role after a previsional diagnosis is made on the STS-MIP images.
Sparacia
G
G
DIBIMEL, Sezione di Scienze Radiologiche, Università di Palermo, Via Del Vespro 127, I-90127, Palermo, Italy. sparacia@unipa.it
Bencivinni
F
F
Banco
A
A
Sarno
C
C
Bartolotta
T V
TV
Lagalla
R
R
D000368:Aged; D000792:Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply*; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002533:Cerebral Angiography / Q000379:methods; D002536:Cerebral Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000098:blood supply*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D014711:Vertebral Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging