title: A preliminary investigation of computed tomographic angiography in the assessment of coronary artery distensibility.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To test 2 hypotheses: first, that coronary distensibility can be measured noninvasively using 64-slice computed tomographic angiography (CTA); and second, that the extent of coronary artery disease (CAD) in any individual patient is related to the degree of distensibility detected by CTA.
  
  
  METHODS
  Computed tomographic angiography was performed in 30 healthy adults and in 30 patients. All subjects were younger than 55 years. The main lesion located in the left anterior descending branch in patients with CAD. The cross-sectional coronary area of the left main and the left anterior descending arteries were measured in each phase (5%-95%, 10% each), and any change in the ratio was quantified. A distensibility value (D value) was determined for each artery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with healthy subjects, the coronary area of the patients with CAD was significantly decreased in 65% to 85% (P < 0.05). There was a significant difference in the D value between healthy subjects and patients with both single-vessel and 2-vessel disease (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Coronary artery distensibility can be measured noninvasively using data obtained from CTA. The distensibility of the coronary artery decreased with the increasing number of involved pathological coronary vessels. The distensibility of the coronary artery correlated with the extent of CAD.
authors.affiliation: From the *Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, and †Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Jia-Yin
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yue-Hua
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ming-Hua
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jing-Wei
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Pan
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D014655:Vascular Resistance; D059289:Vascular Stiffness