Coronary artery imaging during preoperative CT staging: preliminary experience with 64-slice multidetector CT in 99 consecutive patients

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical feasibility of coronary artery imaging during routine preoperative 64-slice MDCT scans of the chest. Ninety-nine consecutive patients in sinus rhythm underwent a biphasic multidetector-row spiral CT examination of the chest without the administration of beta-blockers, including an ECG-gated acquisition over the cardiac cavities, followed by a non-gated examination of the upper third of the thorax. Data were reconstructed to evaluate coronary arteries and to obtain presurgical staging of the underlying disease. The percentage of assessable segments ranged from 65.4% (972/1,485) when considering all coronary artery segments to 88% (613/693) for the proximal and mid segments, reaching 98% (387/396) for proximal coronary artery segments. The 387 interpretable proximal segments included 97 (97%) LM, 99 (100%) LAD, 96 (97%) LCX and 95 (96%) RCA with a mean attenuation of 280.70±52.93 HU. The mean percentage of assessable segments was significantly higher in patients with a heart rate ≤80 bpm (n=48) than in patients with a heart rate greater than 80 bpm (n=35) (80±11% vs. 72±13%; P=0.0008). Diagnostic image quality was achieved in all patients for preoperative staging of the underlying disorder. The mean estimated effective dose was 12.06±3.25 mSv for ECG-gated scans and 13.88±3.49 mSv for complete chest examinations. Proximal and mid-coronary artery segments can be adequately evaluated during presurgical CT examinations of the chest obtained with 64-slice MDCT without the administration of β-blockers.     

回顾性电影法心电门控多层螺旋CT与常规HRCT肺部扫描的对照研究

目的 评价回顾性电影法心电门控多层螺旋CT(ECG-MSCT)肺部扫描的作用。资料与方法 选取2000年7月～2001年6月间行肺部CT检查者50例,男36例,女14例。其中最高心率为88次/min,最低心率为58次/min,平均72.8±12次/min。采用GE Light Speed多层螺旋CT机和SUN图像工作站完成所有病例的检查。首先行常规HRCT扫描,随后只对需要作对比的层面进行同部位ECG-MSCT扫描,并以产生搏动性伪影最明显处的肺实质图像为主要观察对象。将心电门控扫描图像转至工作站进行图像后处理,由3位放射科医师分别进行盲法阅片作同层面图像质量比较。对所有图像质量采用评分方法进行评价。结果 通过同层ECG-MSCT图像和常规HRCT图像伪影评分的比较,发现两者有显著性差异(P<0.001)。心脏搏动双重伪影出现率有明显减少(P<0.05);双轨征出现率也显著减少(P<0.05);星状伪影消除率为60％,较常规HRCT有明显改善(P<0.01)。采用ECG-MSCT和常规HRCT扫描,对消除呼吸运动伪影方面,两者无显著性差异(P>0.05)。结论 ECG-MSCT扫描方法简便易行,可明显消除心脏搏动伪影、双轨征及常见的星状伪影,从而提高了图像的诊断质量,减少由于伪影而造成的误诊。     

心房颤动患者的64层螺旋CT冠状动脉成像的初步临床研究

目的 探讨64层螺旋CT在心房颤动患者冠状动脉CT血管成像(CTA)中的应用价值.方法 分析31例心房颤动患者的冠状动脉CTA图像质量,利用血管分析软件判断血管有无狭窄并测量狭窄率,其中10例患者的冠状动脉CTA结果与冠状动脉造影(CAG)结果进行了对照分析.对于不同心率患者图像质量的比较分析采用多个独立样本(等级资料)的非参数秩和榆验.结果所有患者均采用绝对值时间法重组心脏容积数据.对31例患者中364段血管节段进行成像质量分析:心率为47～69次/min组图像质量为优、良、中和差的血管节段数分别为85、41、5和8个,心率为70～79次/min组分别为63、16、13和15个,心率为80～105次/min组分别为46、25、23和24个,3组间成像质量差异有统计学意义(H=22.08,P＜0.01).10例与CAG进行对照,共分析冠状动脉血管125段,CTA诊断血管狭窄程度≥50%的敏感度为85.0%(17/20),特异度为95.2%(100/105),阳性预测值为77.3%(17/22),阴性预测价值为97.1%(100/103).冠状动脉CTA低估了3段血管的病变,过度评价了5段血管.结论64层螺旋CT对心房颤动患者进行冠状动脉CTA检查具有一定的临床价值.     

Evaluation of various image reconstruction parameters in lower extremity stents using multidetector-row CT angiography: initial findings

Image quality, visible lumen and patency of lower limb stents was assessed by multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT) angiography using various reconstruction parameters and the results compared with conventional angiography. Fourteen patients (25 stents) were evaluated. From MDCT datasets, axial and coronal oblique reformations were reconstructed using differing reconstruction parameters (slice thickness, kernel, views). Artifacts and image quality were assessed using a five-degree scale (1=excellent, 5=poor). Visible stent diameter was measured. Stenosis severity was compared with calibrated catheter angiography. The image quality of medium and sharp image kernels were good/fair (1.9-2.4), while smooth kernel provided only acceptable/poor image quality (3.9-4.4). Coronal oblique images were rated superior to assess in-stent lumen rather than axial. Using medium and sharp kernels, the visible stent lumen was significantly greater than using smooth kernel (P<0.001). thirteen out of fourteen patients (24/25 stents) were correctly classified as patent. In one patient, in-stent stenosis (> or =50%) was falsely diagnosed using CT angiography (CTA) with smooth kernel and was, therefore, rated as false positive. Coronal oblique views, as well as medium and sharp kernels, have shown the best results regarding image quality to assess stent patency in the lower limb. Therefore, MDCT could be a valuable non-invasive modality for stent imaging in the peripheral vasculature.     

Evaluation of biventricular ejection fraction with ECG-gated 16-slice CT: preliminary findings in acute pulmonary embolism in comparison with radionuclide ventriculography

This study aimed to assess the feasibility of cardiac global function evaluation during a whole-chest multi-slice CT (MSCT) acquisition in patients referred for suspicion of pulmonary embolism (PE), and to compare the results with planar equilibrium radionuclide ventriculography (ERNA). Ten consecutive haemodynamically stable patients (six female, four male; mean age 69.7 years; heart rate 65–99 bpm) with suspicion of PE underwent an MSCT and ERNA within a 6 h period. CT acquisition was performed after contrast medium injection by using 16×1.5 mm collimation and retrospective ECG gating. Left ventricular (LVEF) and right ventricular (RVEF) ejection fractions were calculated using dedicated three-dimensional software. Relationships between measurements obtained with MSCT and ERNA were assessed using linear regression analysis and reliability of MSCT was assessed with intra-class correlation coefficient. Bland–Altman analysis was performed to calculate limits of agreement between MSCT and ERNA. MSCT was performed successfully in ten patients with a mean acquisition time of 16.5±2.8 s. Functional cardiac evaluation was possible on CT for all patients except for one due to poor opacification of right ventricle. Linear regression analysis showed a good correlation between MSCT and ERNA for the LVEF (R=0.91) and the RVEF (R=0.89) measurements. Intra-class correlation was superior for LVEF (0.92) than for the RVEF (0.68). Bland–Altman plots demonstrated that MSCT substantially overestimated the ERNA RVEF. Morphological CT data demonstrated PE in four of ten of patients and alternative diagnoses in five of ten patients. Our study reveals that MSCT with retrospective ECG gating may provide in one modality a morphological and a functional cardiopulmonary evaluation. Comparison with ERNA demonstrated a good correlation for both ventricular ejection fractions.     

CT angiography of pulmonary embolism in patients with underlying respiratory disease: impact of multislice CT on image quality and negative predictive value

Our objective was to evaluate the impact of multislice CT (MSCT) on image quality and diagnostic value of spiral CT angiograms. Over an 8-month period (January 2000 to August 2000), 134 consecutive patients, including 55 patients with underlying lung disease, underwent MSCT (group 1). Image quality and diagnostic results of CT angiograms were compared with those obtained in 125 consecutive patients, including 58 patients with underlying lung disease, evaluated with thin-collimation single slice CT (SSCT; group 2) over a similar period of time (January 1999 to August 1999). A 3-month clinical follow-up was systematically obtained in all patients who were not anticoagulated in the two groups. For a significantly longer mean z-axis coverage, the mean duration of data acquisition was significantly shorter with MSCT. The frequency of examinations devoid of motion artifacts was significantly higher in group 1 than in group 2. In the absence of significant difference in the quality of vascular enhancement, mainly coded as good or excellent, the proportion of examinations interpretable down to the subsegmental arteries was higher in group 1 (57.5%) than in group 2 (13%) ( p<0.0001). The benefits of MSCT were more marked for patients with underlying respiratory disease and did not lead to a higher detection rate of peripheral pulmonary embolism. The negative predictive values of single-slice and multislice CT were 100 and 99%, respectively. Improvement in image quality on MSCT scans accounts for the improved diagnostic accuracy of CT angiography, in particular for patients with impaired respiratory function.     

Quantitative assessment of left ventricular function with dual-source CT in comparison to cardiac magnetic resonance imaging: initial findings

Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and echocardiography are currently regarded as standard modalities for the quantification of left ventricular volumes and ejection fraction. With the recent introduction of dual-source computedtomography (DSCT), the increased temporal resolution of 83 ms should also improve the assessment of cardiac function in CT. The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of DSCT in the assessment of left ventricular functional parameters with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as standard of reference. Fifteen patients (two female, 13 male; mean age 50.8 ± 19.2 years) underwent CT and MRI examinations on a DSCT (Somatom Definition; Siemens Medical Solutions, Forchheim, Germany) and a 3.0-Tesla MR scanner (Magnetom Trio; Siemens Medical Solutions), respectively. Multiphase axial CT images were analysed with a semiautomatic region growing algorithms (Syngo Circulation; Siemens Medical Solutions) by two independent blinded observers. In MRI, dynamic cine loops of short axis slices were evaluated with semiautomatic contour detection software (ARGUS; Siemens Medical Solutions) independently by two readers. End-systolic volume (ESV), end-diastolic volume (EDV), ejection fraction (EF) and stroke volume (SV) were determined for both modalities, and correlation coefficient, systematic error, limits of agreement and inter-observer variability were assessed. In DSCT, EDV and ESV were 135.8 ± 41.9 ml and 54.9 ± 29.6 ml, respectively, compared with 132.1 ± 40.8 ml EDV and 57.6 ± 27.3 ml ESV in MRI. Thus, EDV was overestimated by 3.7 ml (limits of agreement −46.1/+53.6), while ESV was underestimated by 2.6 ml (−36.6/+31.4). Mean EF was 61.6 ± 12.4% in DSCT and 57.9 ± 9.0% in MRI, resulting in an overestimation of EF by 3.8% with limits of agreement at −14.7 and +22.2%. Rank correlation rho values were 0.81 for EDV (P = 0.0024), 0.79 for ESV (P = 0.0031) and 0.64 for EF (P = 0.0168). The kappa value of inter-observer variability were amounted to 0.85 for EDV, ESV and EF. DSCT offers the possibility to quantify left ventricular function from coronary CT angiography datasets with sufficient diagnostic accuracy, adding to the value of the modality in a comprehensive cardiac assessment. The observed differences in the measured values may be due to different post-processing methods and physiological reactions to contrast material injection without beta-blocker medication. S. Busch and T. Johnson contributed equally to this study.     

Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension: evaluation with 64-detector row CT versus digital substraction angiography

The aim of the study was to evaluate the role of 64-row CT in the diagnostic workup of patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) using digital substraction angiography (DSA) as the method of diagnostic reference. CT and DSA studies of 27 patients (54 main, 162 lobar and 540 segmental arteries) with a clinical suspicion of CTEPH were included in this retrospective and blinded analysis. Axial images and multiplanar thin maximum intensity projections (MIPs) (3 mm) were consequently used for exact image interpretation whereas additional reconstructed thick MIPs gave an overview of the entire vascular tree comparable to DSA. Sensitivity and specificity of CT regarding CTEPH-related pathological changes in general were 98.3% and 94.8% at main/lobar level and 94.1% and 92.9% at segmental level, respectively. Sensitivity and specificity of CT regarding the different pathological criteria of CTEPH (complete obstruction, intimal irregularities, bands and webs, indirect signs) were 88.9-100% and 96.1-100% at main/lobar level and 84.3-90.5% and 92-98.7% at segmental level, respectively. Our results show that CT is an accurate and reliable non-invasive alternative to conventional DSA in the diagnostic workup in patients with CTEPH.     

支气管动脉64层螺旋CT影像解剖学研究

目的 利用64层螺旋CT血管造影研究评价支气管动脉(BA)的影像解剖特征及其临床应用价值.资料与方法 对112例行胸部增强扫描,至少1支BA清晰显示的病例,采用容积再现(VR)、多平面重组(MPR)及最大密度投影(MIP)等后处理技术,观察和分析BA的相关解剖学特征.结果 112例中,BA清晰显示280支,其中右侧158支,左侧122支;BA的分支类型共9种,较为常见的是左右各1支(41.07%,46/112)、右2支左1支(24.11%,27/112)两种类型;右BA主要起源于右肋间后动脉(52.53%,83/158)和降主动脉(38.61%,61/158),左BA主要起源于降主动脉(88.52%,108/122),异位起源的BA共20支(7.14%),同时还有相当数量的BA共干(24.29%,68/280).源自降主动脉的右BA以右侧壁和前壁最多,源自降主动脉的左BA和共干均以前壁最多.BA开口主要平对T5～T6水平,以降主动脉血流方向为顺行方向,降主动脉段BA与降主动脉间平均逆行角度右侧为98.70°,左侧为105.12°.BA沿左右主支气管走行方式多样,右BA源自右肋间后动脉者,大多沿右主支气管后壁走行(45/83,54.22%)或同时行经右主支气管的后壁及下壁(25/83,30.12%);右BA源自降主动脉者,大多越过气管隆突下方沿右主支气管下壁走行(48/61,78.69%);左BA源自降主动脉者,大多沿左主支气管上壁走行(51/108,47.22%)或同时行经左主支气管的多个壁(36/108,33.33%).结论 64层螺旋CT血管造影可以有效评价BA的影像解剖特征,为临床BA栓塞治疗咯血、BA灌注化疗或灌注栓塞治疗中晚期肺癌提供重要解剖依据.     

Severity of acute pulmonary embolism: evaluation of a new spiral CT angiographic score in correlation with echocardiographic data

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the severity of acute pulmonary embolism (PE) could be quantitatively assessed with spiral CT angiography (SCTA). Thirty-six consecutive patients without underlying cardiopulmonary disease and high clinical suspicion of PE underwent prospectively thin-collimation SCTA and echocardiography at the time of the initial diagnosis (T0) and after initial therapy (T1; mean interval of time T1–T2: 32 days). The CT severity score was based on the percentage of obstructed surface of each central and peripheral pulmonary arterial section using a 5-point scale (1: <25%; 2: 25–49%; 3: 50–74%; 4: 75–99%; 5: 100%). The sum of the detailed scores attributed to 5 mediastinal, 6 lobar and 20 segmental arteries per patient led to the determination of central, peripheral and global CT severity scores and subsequent determination of percentages of obstruction of the pulmonary circulation. Echocardiographic severity criteria included the presence of signs of acute cor pulmonale and/or systolic pulmonary hypertension (>40 mm Hg). The SCTA depicted acute PE in all patients at T0 with complete resolution of endovascular clots in 10 patients at T1. At T0, the mean percentage of obstruction of the pulmonary arterial bed was significantly higher in the 22 patients with echocardiographic signs of severity (56±13 vs 28±32%; p<0.001). A significant reduction in the mean percentage of pulmonary artery obstruction was observed in the 19 patients with resolution of echocardiographic criteria of severity between T0 and T1 T0: 57±14%; T1: 7±11%; p<0.001).The threshold value for severe PE on CT angiograms was 49% (sensitivity: 0.773; specificity: 0.214). The mean (±SD) pulmonary artery pressure was significantly higher in the 26 patients with more than 50% obstruction of the pulmonary artery bed (45±15 mm Hg) than in the 10 patients with less than 50% obstruction of pulmonary artery bed at T0 (31±11 mm Hg; p<0.01). The CT severity score evaluated in the present study enables quantitative assessment of acute PE severity on spiral CT angiograms, readily applicable in routine clinical practice. Electronic Publication     

ECG-gated chest CT angiography with 64-MDCT and tri-phasic IV contrast administration regimen in patients with acute non-specific chest pain

The purpose of this study was to evaluate chest CTA protocol using retrospective ECG-gating and triphasic IV contrast regimen for comprehensive evaluation of patients with acute non-specific chest pain. ECG-triggered dose modulation was used with a 64-MDCT scanner in 56 non-critically ill patients with acute nonspecific chest pain using triphasic IV regimen: 50 ml contrast followed by 50 ml 60% contrast/saline and 30 ml normal saline. Lungs, aorta, pulmonary and coronary arteries were graded on a 5-point scale (5, best). Aorta and pulmonary artery attenuation was measured and three coronary artery groups were evaluated. Comparison with invasive coronary angiography was obtained in nine patients on a per segment (16 total) basis. Dosimetry values were obtained. Studies were satisfactory in all patients (score >3). Aorta and pulmonary artery attenuation was >200 HU in 90.5%. Lung or pleura, non-cardiac vascular and coronary arteries disease were detected in 20, 11 and 16 patients, respectively. Median coronary angiography (grade 5) was significantly higher than acceptable for diagnosis grade 4 (p < 0.001). Per segment, weighted kappa statistic was 0.79 indicating substantial agreement with catheter angiography (p<0.001). Average DLP was 1,490 ± 412 mGy-cm. Gated 64-MDCT angiography with triphasic IV contrast is a robust multipurpose technique for patients with acute non-specific chest pain. An erratum to this article can be found at     

咯血患者的胸部16层CT血管造影

目的:利用CT血管造影研究咯血患者相关血管影像学.材料和方法:回顾性分析46例因反复或大量咯血行胸部增强的病例,包括支扩或慢性炎症31例,原发性肺癌11例,肺内血管畸形4例,采用16层螺旋CT胸部增强扫描,容积显示、多平面重建和最大强度投影进行CTA重建观察与分析,其中10例有同期DSA对照.结果:肺癌和支气管扩张或慢性炎症均显示支气管动脉异常,其中13例表现为支气管动脉主干明显扩张、迂曲,19例支气管动脉主干及分支均扩张增粗,多支支气管动脉供血时远端相互吻合成丰富的血管网,10例支气管动脉与肺外体循环动脉向同一病灶供血.血管畸形表现为瘤样扩张的血管团并见供血动脉和引流静脉(3例)或丰富的支气管动脉血管网(1例).结论:咯血患者常见支气管动脉异常,并有不少合并肺外体循环动脉异常供血,少数为肺内血管畸形,16层CTA能安全、清晰地评价咯血相关血管特征,指导相关介入治疗.     

64层螺旋CT血管成像在肺动脉栓塞中的诊断价值

目的:探讨64层螺旋CT血管成像在诊断肺动脉栓塞中的价值。方法:回顾性分析19例临床确诊为肺动脉栓塞的64层螺旋CT肺动脉成像资料,并用最大密度投影(MIP)、多平面重组(MPR)、容积再现(VR)等方法显示肺动脉。结果:19例患者中,其中左右肺动脉栓塞有8支,叶肺动脉栓塞27支,段及亚段肺动脉栓塞56支。偏心型41支,闭塞型38支,中央型8支,附壁环形型4支。结论:64层螺旋CT肺动脉成像可作为肺动脉栓塞诊断的首选方法。     

Dual-source CT cardiac imaging: initial experience

The relation of heart rate and image quality in the depiction of coronary arteries, heart valves and myocardium was assessed on a dual-source computed tomography system (DSCT). Coronary CT angiography was performed on a DSCT (Somatom Definition, Siemens) with high concentration contrast media (Iopromide, Ultravist 370, Schering) in 24 patients with heart rates between 44 and 92 beats per minute. Images were reconstructed over the whole cardiac cycle in 10% steps. Two readers independently assessed the image quality with regard to the diagnostic evaluation of right and left coronary artery, heart valves and left ventricular myocardium for the assessment of vessel wall changes, coronary stenoses, valve morphology and function and ventricular function on a three point grading scale. The image quality ratings at the optimal reconstruction interval were 1.24±0.42 for the right and 1.09±0.27 for the left coronary artery. A reconstruction of diagnostic systolic and diastolic images is possible for a wide range of heart rates, allowing also a functional evaluation of valves and myocardium. Dual-source CT offers very robust diagnostic image quality in a wide range of heart rates. The high temporal resolution now also makes a functional evaluation of the heart valves and myocardium possible.     

白塞氏病的胸部CT表现

目的；探讨白塞氏病胸部ＣＴ表现。材料与方法；回顾性分析了１５例白塞氏病患者的胸部ＣＴ表现。结果：１５例中１１例胸部ＣＴ可见不同程度的异常改变，其中２例肺部肿块ＣＴ增强扫描为肺动脉瘤；１例上腔静脉狭窄血栓形成致胸壁侧支循环形成；１例肺动脉高压及肺间质病变；其他异常包括胸腔积液、胸膜增厚、肺灌注不良、肺间质病变及纵隔淋巴结肿大。结论：ＣＴ对白塞氏病患者胸部病变尤其是肺动脉脉瘤的诊断具有重要的价值。     

64-slice multidetector coronary CT angiography: in vitro evaluation of 68 different stents

The purpose of this study was to test a large sample of different coronary artery stents using four image reconstruction approaches with respect to lumen visualization, lumen attenuation, and image noise in 64-slice multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT) in vitro and to provide a catalogue of currently used coronary artery stents when imaged with state-of the-art MDCT. We examined 68 different coronary artery stents (57 stainless steel, four cobalt-chromium, one cobalt-alloy, two nitinol, four tantalum) in a coronary artery phantom (vessel diameter 3 mm, intravascular attenuation 250 HU, extravascular density −70). Stents were imaged in axial orientation with standard parameters: 32x0.6 collimation, pitch 0.24, 680 mAs, 120 kV, rotation time 0.37 s. Four different image reconstructions were obtained with varying convolution kernels and section thicknesses: (1) soft, 0.6 mm, (2) soft, 0.75, (3) medium soft, 0.6, and (4) stent-optimized sharp, 0.6. To evaluate visualization characteristics of of the stent, the lumen diameter, intraluminal density and noise were measured. The high-resolution kernel offered significantly better average lumen visualization (57% ±10%) and more realistic lumen attenuation (222 HU ±66 HU) at the expense of increased noise (15.3 HU ±3.7 HU) compared with the soft and medium-soft CT angiography (CTA) protocol (p<0.001 for all). Stents with a lumen visibility of more than 66% were: Arthos pico, Driver, Flex, Nexus2, S7, Tenax complete, Vision (all 67%), Symbiot, Teneo (70%), and Radius (73%). Only ten stents showed a lumen visibility of less than 50%. Stent lumen visibility largely varies depending on the stent type. Even with the improved spatial resolution of 64-slice CT, a stent-optimized kernel remains beneficial for stent visualization when compared with the standard medium-soft CTA protocol. Using 64-slice CT and high-resolution kernel, the majority of stent products show a lumen visibility of more than 50% of the stent diameter.     

Coronary 64-slice CT angiography predicts outcome in patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease

The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic value of 64-slice CT angiography (CTA) in patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease (CAD). Sixty-four-slice coronary CTA was performed in 220 patients [mean age 63 ± 11 years, 77 (35%) female] with known or suspected CAD. CTA images were analyzed with regard to the presence and number of coronary lesions. Patients were followed-up for the occurrence of the following clinical endpoints: death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, unstable angina, and coronary revascularization. During a mean follow-up of 14 ± 4 months, 59 patients (27%) reached at least one of the predefined clinical endpoints. Patients with abnormal coronary arteries on CTA (i.e., presence of coronary plaques) had a 1st-year event rate of 34%, whereas in patients with normal coronary arteries no events occurred (event rate, 0%, p < 0.001). Similarly, obstructive lesions (≥50% luminal narrowing) on CTA were associated with a high first-year event rate (59%) compared to patients without stenoses (3%, p < 0.001). The presence of obstructive lesions was a significant independent predictor of an adverse cardiac outcome. Sixty-four-slice CTA predicts cardiac events in patients with known or suspected CAD. Conversely, patients with normal coronary arteries on CTA have an excellent mid-term prognosis.     

Quantification of lung perfusion blood volume (lung PBV) by dual-energy CT in patients with and without pulmonary embolism: preliminary results

Objectives

Recently, software has been used for quantification of lung PBV, which can be evaluated objectively; however, this technique is yet to be validated. The purpose was to investigate the clinical feasibility of the quantification of lung perfusion blood volume (lung PBV) by dual-energy CT in patients with pulmonary embolism (PE).

Materials and methods

One hundred thirteen patients with clinical suspicion of PE underwent dual-energy CT angiography with a standard injection protocol. Patients were divided into each two groups with and without PE based on the presence of endoluminal clots on transverse diagnostic scans. We evaluated the quantification of lung PBV using a workstation. Associations between lung PVB and the numbers of pulmonary segments with PE were also evaluated.

Results

Thirty three of 113 (29%) patients were found to have endoluminal clots in the right and/or left lungs. The remaining 80 patients did not have endoluminal clots. In 33 patients, the mean number of segments with endoluminal clots was 5.2 ± 3.3. For patient (whole lung)-based analysis, in patients with and without PE, mean lung PBVs were 20.8 ± 2.3 and 28.7 ± 6.8 Hounsfield Unit (HU), respectively, with a significant difference between the two groups (p < 0.0001). In patients with PE, there was a significant correlation between lung PBV and the numbers of pulmonary segments with PE (R = 0.57, p = 0.0005).

Conclusion

The findings of this preliminary study suggest that quantification of lung PBV may reflect the pulmonary artery perfusion, which is useful to evaluate pulmonary blood flow in patients with PE.     

前瞻性心电门控在64层CT冠状动脉成像的初步应用

目的 评价前瞻性心电门控64层CT冠状动脉成像的可行性和临床应用价值.方法 60例患者进行前瞻性心电门控64层CT冠状动脉成像检查,分析有效辐射剂量,并采用多平面重组(MPR)、最大密度投影(MIP)、曲面重组(CPR)及容积再现(VR)技术显示冠状动脉,评价其成像质量.结果 平均辐射剂量(2.7±0.2)mSv;符合诊断标准的冠状动脉节段为93.3%(720/772),44.2%(341/772)质量优秀,49.1%(379/772)质量中等,6.7%(52/772)质量较差.冠状动脉重度狭窄(＞75%)或闭塞5例(8.3%),中度狭窄(50%～75%)17例(28.4%),管腔不规则或轻度狭窄(＜50%)18例(30.0%),冠状动脉正常者20例(33.3%).结论 前瞻性心电门控64层CT冠状动脉成像的影像质量能达到诊断标准,大大降低了辐射剂量,具有很好的临床应用价值.