Current contrast media delivery strategies for cardiac and pulmonary multidetector-row computed tomography angiography.
Recent advances in multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT) have led to substantial improvements in coverage area, acquisition speed, and temporal/spatial resolution, which have strengthened the performance of thoracic and cardiac MDCT angiography but have also imposed new challenges for optimization of contrast medium enhancement and scan acquisition strategies. Understanding contrast media dynamics is fundamental for the design of scan acquisition and injection protocols. This article examines the fundamentals of the physiological and contrast delivery factors that determine the quality of contrast enhancement, emphasizing the modifications required in contrast delivery protocols for optimizing cardiothoracic MDCT angiography with modern-era MDCT scanners.
Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Division of Cardiology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29401, USA. luis.ramosduran@ttuhsc.edu
Luis R
LR
Ramos-Duran
John F
JF
Kalafut
Michael
M
Hanley
U Joseph
UJ
Schoepf
D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
D003287:Contrast Media