title: An initial randomised study assessing free-breathing CCTA using 320-detector CT.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the feasibility of free-breathing coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) in adults using with a 320-detector multidetector CT (MDCT).
  
  
  METHODS
  In 74 patients who underwent CCTA, 37 CCTA examinations were performed during free-breathing, and the remaining 37 CCTA examinations were produced with the standard breath-holding method. The quality scores for 16 segments of all coronary arteries were analysed and defined as: 1 (excellent), 2 (good), and 3 (poor). The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and effective radiation dose of each image were compared between the two methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant differences were observed in the quality scores between the breath-holding and free-breathing methods (1.10 ± 0.31 vs. 1.12 ± 0.33; P = 0.443). The SNR and CNR were not significantly different between the two methods. The overall mean effective radiation dose revealed no significant difference between the two methods (P = 0.585).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Free-breathing CCTA using 320-detector MDCT showed no significant difference in image quality compared with standard breath-holding CCTA. For patients with difficulties of breath-holding or non-negligible apnoea-related heart rate variability, free-breathing CCTA can be an alternative solution for coronary artery evaluation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  • Cardiac CT is becoming widely used and some patients are inevitably breathless. • Multidetector CT (e.g. 320) offers new opportunities for the breathless patient. • Free breathing images yielded similar image quality to those obtained using breath-holding. • However, a possibility of higher radiation dose precludes its routine application.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Dong-A University College of Medicine, Busan, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Eun-Ju
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Jongmin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ki-Nam
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Heejin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kown
authors.forename: Dong-Ho
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.forename: Rock Bum
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D015656:Respiratory Mechanics; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*