title: [Applications of retrospective electrocardiogram editing in dual-source computed tomography coronary angiography in patients with arrhythmia].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the clinical value of retrospective electrocardiogram (ECG) -editing technique in dual-source computed tomography (CT) coronary angiography in patients with arrhythmia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Totally 73 patients with arrhythmia during dual-source CT coronary angiography were included into this study. A retrospective gating technique and ECG-editing technique (Insert Sync; Disable Sync; Delete Sync; Shift R-peak) were used in patients who needed ECG-editing. Two experienced radiologists evaluated in consensus all pre-editing and post-editing reconstructed images and recorded scores according to the American Heart Association guidelines on coronary segmentation on a per segment basis. Image quality of all coronary segments was assessed using a four-point grading scale from excellent (4 scores) to non-assessable (1 score) .
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall mean image quality of 34 patients who did not need ECG-editing was 3.42 ± 0.20. In 39 patients who needed ECG-editing, the overall mean image quality before and after ECG-editing was 2.39?0.37 and 3.22?0.24. The mean image quality in every segment between pre-editing and post-editing was also significantly different (P<0.01) .
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ECG-editing technique can remarkably improve image quality of coronary artery segments by reducing or even eliminating the artifact produced by arrhythmia during dual-source CT coronary angiography.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fuzhou 350001, China. shen4100@sohu.com
authors.forename: Yan-fu
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Xiao-mei
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Ming-beng
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Xiao-lan
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Jia-wei
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Tian-hui
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Lie-xin
authors.initials: LX
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Rui-bin
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: DU
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*