title: Cardiovascular computed tomography angiography in newborns and infants with suspected congenital heart disease: retrospective evaluation of low-dose scan protocols.
abstract: Twelve infants (body weight, 3.59±1.36 kg) with congenital heart disease underwent a clinically indicated cardiovascular computed tomography angiography (CTA) study. Retrospectively, we investigated the feasibility and diagnostic capability of different non-electrocardiogram-triggered CTA protocols and assessed radiation doses. Scans were performed on a 256-multislice CT (MSCT) scanner with the vendor-preset helical protocol at 120 kV for babies, with axial single-shoot scans at 120 kV and 80 kV. The 80-kV protocol led to significantly reduced mean effective doses of 0.29±0.08 mSv (P=.017) and renders diagnostic image quality. All major cardiovascular defects were detected on MSCT, and all images were of diagnostic quality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany. t.klink@uke.de
authors.forename: Thorsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Klink
authors.forename: Götz
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Jochen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Weil
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dodge-Khatami
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Adam
authors.forename: Thorsten Alexander
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Bley
mesh_terms: D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*