Evaluation of pericardial sinuses and recesses with 2-, 4-, 16-, and 64-row multidetector CT.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to describe visualisation rate and appearance of all pericardial sinuses and recesses and to evaluate whether there is a significant difference between visualisation of these sinuses and recesses on 2-, 4-, 16- and 64-slice multidetector computed tomography (MDCT).


METHODS
We retrospectively analysed 588 MDCT scans of the chest obtained with a protocol for pulmonary embolism.


RESULTS
The visualisation rate of any pericardial recess was 85.2%. The rates on 2-, 4-, 16- and 64-slice MDCT were 74.7%, 90.6%, 90.3% and 88.7%, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference in visualisation rates of pericardial recesses between 2-slice MDCT and other MDCT systems (p<0.01). Age, and 4-, 16- and 64-slice MDCT versus 2-slice MDCT and the presence of pleural effusion appeared as significant predictors of the presence of any recess.


CONCLUSIONS
Visualisation rates of pericardial recesses are higher with 4-, 16- and 64-slice MDCT than with 2-slice MDCT. Therefore, radiologists need to be familiar with the different appearances of pericardial recesses on MDCT to avoid misdiagnosis.
Ozmen
C A
CA
Department of Radiology, Dicle University School of Medicine, 21280 Diyarbakir, Turkey. cihanakgul@gmail.com
Akpinar
M G
MG
Akay
H O
HO
Demirkazik
F B
FB
Ariyurek
M
M
D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010496:Pericardium / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed