Quantitative assessment of image quality in 64-slice-computed tomography of coronary arteries in subjects undergoing screening for coronary artery disease.
Accurate and consistent visualization of the entire coronary system with high-grade imaging quality is crucial for routine applications of multi-detector-computed tomography (MDCT) coronary angiography. To determine the imaging quality of 64-slice-MDCT coronary angiography, we respectively explored the quantitative parameters of imaging quality in 105 consecutive subjects (71 men, 34 women; aged 58.66 +/- 10.62 years) who underwent 64-slice-MDCT coronary angiography to screen for coronary disease. The interobserver agreement for semi-quantitative image quality, visible length, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of the coronary arteries was good. The SNR and CNR of the proximal segments of the coronary arteries were superior to that of the distal segments of coronary arteries (p < 0.001). The visible length of the stenosed right coronary artery was significantly shorter than that of the non-stenosed right coronary artery (p = 0.03). The SNR and CNR of the stenosed and non-stenosed coronary arteries revealed no significant difference (p > 0.05). Body weight and body mass index were inversely related to the SNR and CNR of the aorta (p < 0.001). In conclusion, 64-slice-MDCT coronary angiography can provide excellent imaging quality of coronary arteries in subjects undergoing screening for coronary disease, although the SNR and CNR were relatively low at the distal segments of coronary arteries.
Yang
Li-Hwa
LH
Department of Medical Imaging, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Wu
Ding-Kwo
DK
Chen
Chiao-Yun
CY
Liu
Gin-Chung
GC
Hsieh
Tsyh-Jyi
TJ
Jaw
Twei-Shiun
TS
Huang
Shu-Yuan
SY
Lin
Chien-Chung
CC
Hsu
Jui-Sheng
JS
D000368:Aged; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*