title: Coronary artery calcium scoring on different 64-detector scanners using a low-tube voltage (80 kVp).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to compare the calcium score and reproducibility of coronary artery calcium scores obtained on the four kinds of 64-detector computed tomography (CT) scanners using standard (120 kVp) and low tube voltage (80 kVp) scan techniques.
  
  
  METHODS
  We scanned 80 and 120 kVp on all scanners. We calculated Agatston, volume, and mass scores for coronary artery calcium scoring on each scanner and compared the coefficients of variation of the calcium scores to evaluate reproducibility of among CT scanners.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The averages of the total mean Agatston score, total mean volume score, and total mean mass score at 80 kVp/120 kVp were 798.9/683.8, and 627.2/567.3, and 157.1/156.7, respectively. The total mean mass score was almost constant irrespective of the tube voltage. The total mean coefficients of variation for the four CT scanners were lower at 80 than 120 kVp (4.1% vs. 10.2% [total mean Agatston score], 3.2% vs. 9.6% [total mean volume score], and 3.2% vs. 9.4% [total mean mass score]).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Use of the low tube voltage technique can reduce variations in the coronary artery calcium scores obtained on different CT scanners.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Hiroshima University, Kasumi-cho, Minami-ku, Japan. fujioka@hiroshima-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Chikako
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fujioka
authors.forename: Yoshinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Funama
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kiguchi
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ishifuro
authors.forename: Yasuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kihara
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nagata
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Awai
mesh_terms: D002114:Calcinosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D006801:Humans; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000295:instrumentation*