title: Feasibility of prospectively ECG-triggered high-pitch coronary CT angiography with 30 mL iodinated contrast agent at 70 kVp: initial experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the feasibility, image quality and radiation dose of prospectively ECG-triggered high-pitch coronary CT angiography (CCTA) with 30 mL contrast agent at 70 kVp.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-eight patients with suspected coronary artery disease, a body mass index (BMI) of less than 25 kg/m(2), sinus rhythm and a heart rate (HR) of less than 70 beats per minute (bpm) were prospectively enrolled in this study. Thirty mL of 370 mg I/mL iodinated contrast agent was administrated at a flow rate of 5 mL/s. All patients underwent prospectively ECG-triggered high-pitch CCTA on a second-generation dual-source CT system at 70 kVp using automated tube current modulation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-six patients (96.6%) had diagnostic CCTA images and two patients (3.4%) had one vessel with poor image quality each rated as non-diagnostic. No significant effects of HR, HR variability and BMI on CCTA image quality were observed (all P > 0.05). Effective dose was 0.17 ± 0.02 mSv and the size-specific dose estimate was 1.03 ± 0.13 mGy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prospectively ECG-triggered high-pitch CCTA at 70 kVp with 30 mL of contrast agent can provide diagnostic image quality at a radiation dose of less than 0.2 mSv in patients with a BMI of less than 25 kg/m(2) and an HR of less than 70 bpm.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  • Prospectively ECG-triggered high-pitch CCTA at 70 kVp/30 mL contrast agent is feasible. • Diagnostic image quality can be obtained at a radiation dose of less than 0.2 mSv. • This protocol is suitable for normal-weight patients with slow heart rate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210002, China, kevinzhlj@163.com.
authors.forename: Long Jiang
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Chun Xiang
authors.initials: CX
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Chang Sheng
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Xue Man
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: James V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Spearman
authors.forename: Carlo Nicola
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: De Cecco
authors.forename: Felix G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Meinel
authors.forename: U Joseph
authors.initials: UJ
authors.lastname: Schoepf
authors.forename: Guang Ming
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D007472:Iohexol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D061330:Multidetector Computed Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D007472:Iohexol; C038192:iopromide
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