title: Prospectively ECG-triggered sequential dual-source coronary CT angiography in patients with atrial fibrillation: comparison with retrospectively ECG-gated helical CT.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the feasibility of applying prospectively ECG-triggered sequential coronary CT angiography (CCTA) to patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and evaluate the image quality and radiation dose compared with a retrospectively ECG-gated helical protocol.
  
  
  METHODS
  100 patients with persistent AF were enrolled. Fifty patients were randomly assigned to a prospective protocol and the other patients to a retrospective protocol using a second-generation dual-source CT (DS-CT). Image quality was evaluated using a four-point grading scale (1 = excellent, 2 = good, 3 = moderate, 4 = poor) by two reviewers on a per-segment basis. The coronary artery segments were considered non-diagnostic with a quality score of 4. The radiation dose was evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Diagnostic segment rate in the prospective group was 99.4 % (642/646 segments), while that in the retrospective group was 96.5 % (604/626 segments) (P < 0.001). Effective dose was 4.29 ± 1.86 and 11.95 ± 5.34 mSv for each of the two protocols (P < 0.001), which was a 64 % reduction in the radiation dose for prospective sequential imaging compared with retrospective helical imaging.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In AF patients, prospectively ECG-triggered sequential CCTA is feasible using second-generation DS-CT and can decrease >60 % radiation exposure compared with retrospectively ECG-gated helical imaging while improving diagnostic image quality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  • Coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) can be difficult in patients with arrhythmias. • Prospectively ECG-triggered sequential CCTA is feasible in patients with atrial fibrillation. • Prospective sequential imaging can improve quality compared with retrospective analysis. • Prospective sequential imaging decreases radiation exposure by 64 % compared with retrospective mode.
authors: Department of Radiology, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, No.2, Anzhen Road, Chaoyang District, 100029 Beijing, China. leixu2001@hotmail.com
authors: Lei
authors: L
authors: Xu
authors: Lin
authors: L
authors: Yang
authors: Zhaoqi
authors: Z
authors: Zhang
authors: Yining
authors: Y
authors: Wang
authors: Zhengyu
authors: Z
authors: Jin
authors: Longjiang
authors: L
authors: Zhang
authors: Guangming
authors: G
authors: Lu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D055424:Cardiac-Gated Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D036542:Tomography, Spiral Computed / Q000379:methods*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods
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