Incidental extracardiac findings at cardiac CT angiography: comparison of prevalence and clinical significance between precontrast low-dose whole thoracic scan and postcontrast retrospective ECG-gated cardiac scan.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the prevalence and clinical significance of incidental extracardiac findings at cardiac CT angiography (CCTA) with precontrast low-dose whole thoracic scan (LDCT) and ECG-gated CCTA.


METHODS
We reviewed 254 patients who underwent CCTA. All participants first underwent LDCT to determine a range for CCTA and to screen unrecognized extracardiac lesions. CCTA was reconstructed with a small field of view of the heart. Clinically significant extracardiac findings were defined as abnormalities requiring further diagnostic work up, therapeutic intervention, or follow-up.


RESULTS
On LDCT, 285 extracardiac findings were detected in 62.6% patients; on CCTA, 18 findings in 7% patients. Among these, 66 findings in 20.4% patients were considered clinically significant on LDCT, and 4 findings in 1.6% patients on CCTA.


CONCLUSIONS
Clinically significant extracardiac findings are common in patients undergoing CCTA with a considerable number of extracardiac findings being detected only on LDCT. We advise performing whole thorax LDCT prior to CCTA.
Kim
Jin Woo
JW
Department of Radiology, Guro Hospital, Korea University, 97 Guro-dong, Guro-gu, Seoul, 152-703, South Korea.
Kang
Eun-Young
EY
Yong
Hwan Seok
HS
Kim
Yoon Kyung
YK
Woo
Ok Hee
OH
Oh
Yu-Whan
YW
Lee
Ki Yeol
KY
Han
Heon
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003287:Contrast Media; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033162:Incidental Findings; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D055815:Young Adult
D003287:Contrast Media