title: 256-Slice coronary computed tomographic angiography in patients with atrial fibrillation: optimal reconstruction phase and image quality.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the optimal reconstruction phase and the image quality of coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed CCTA in 60 patients with AF and 60 controls with sinus rhythm. The images were reconstructed in multiple phases in all parts of the cardiac cycle, and the optimal reconstruction phase with the fewest motion artefacts was identified. The coronary artery segments were visually evaluated to investigate their assessability.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 46 (76.7 %) patients, the optimal reconstruction phase was end-diastole, whereas in 6 (10.0 %) patients it was end-systole or mid-diastole, and in 2 (3.3 %) patients it was another cardiac phase. In 53 (88.3 %) of the controls, the optimal reconstruction phase was mid-diastole, whereas it was end-systole in 4 (6.7 %), and in 3 (5.0 %) it was another cardiac phase. There was a significant difference between patients with AF and the controls in the optimal phase (p < 0.01) but not in the visual image quality score (p = 0.06).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The optimal reconstruction phase in most patients with AF was the end-diastolic phase. The end-systolic phase tended to be optimal in AF patients with higher average heart rates.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The optimal reconstruction phase in 76.7 % of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) was end-diastole. The end-systolic phase was optimal in AF patients with higher heart rates. ECG and heart-rate control are necessary to obtain end-diastolic images with fewer motion artefacts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, 1-1-1 Honjyo, Chuou-ku, Kumamoto, 860-8556, Japan. seisei0430@nifty.com.
authors.forename: Seitaro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oda
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Kumamoto Chuo Hospital, 1-5-1 Tainoshima, Minami-ku, Kumamoto, 862-0965, Japan.
authors.forename: Keiichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Honda
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Kumamoto Chuo Hospital, 1-5-1 Tainoshima, Minami-ku, Kumamoto, 862-0965, Japan.
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yoshimura
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Kumamoto Chuo Hospital, 1-5-1 Tainoshima, Minami-ku, Kumamoto, 862-0965, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Katahira
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Kumamoto Chuo Hospital, 1-5-1 Tainoshima, Minami-ku, Kumamoto, 862-0965, Japan.
authors.forename: Katsuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Noda
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Kumamoto Chuo Hospital, 1-5-1 Tainoshima, Minami-ku, Kumamoto, 862-0965, Japan.
authors.forename: Shuichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oshima
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, 1-1-1 Honjyo, Chuou-ku, Kumamoto, 860-8556, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yuki
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, 1-1-1 Honjyo, Chuou-ku, Kumamoto, 860-8556, Japan.
authors.forename: Masafumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kidoh
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, 1-1-1 Honjyo, Chuou-ku, Kumamoto, 860-8556, Japan.
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Utsunomiya
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, 1-1-1 Honjyo, Chuou-ku, Kumamoto, 860-8556, Japan.
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakaura
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, 1-1-1 Honjyo, Chuou-ku, Kumamoto, 860-8556, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomohiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Namimoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, 1-1-1 Honjyo, Chuou-ku, Kumamoto, 860-8556, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamashita
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016477:Artifacts; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003971:Diastole / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D061330:Multidetector Computed Tomography / Q000379:methods; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013599:Systole / Q000502:physiology
keywords: Atrial fibrillation; Coronary CT angiography; Image quality; Motion artefact; Optimal reconstruction phase