Role of 128 slice MSCT angiography in evaluation of congenital extra-cardiac intra-thoracic vascular anomalies in children

Purpose

To investigate the value and highlight the role of multi slice computed tomography (MSCT) angiography in evaluation of extra-cardiac intra thoracic vascular anomalies in children.

Patients and methods

This study included 24 patients (13 males and 11 females) with an age range of 1 month–13 years. All of these patients were clinically diagnosed to have congenital heart disease with suspected extracardiac vascular anomalies. All underwent prospective ECG-gated MSCT angiography after trans-thoracic echocardiography (TTE). Iterative reconstruction techniques were applied to reduce the radiation dose in MSCT angiography with the mean radiation dose of (4 mSv). The diagnostic accuracy and sensitivity of MSCT angiography and TTE were compared in comparison with surgical outcome.

Results

The most common congenital extra cardiac vascular anomalies are PDA (45.8%) and aortic coarctation (37.5%). The major CT angiographic findings missed by TTE were coronary artery anomalies, absence of a pulmonary artery and pulmonary artery stenosis. The overall sensitivity of the MSCT angiography in diagnosis of the extra-cardiac vascular anomalies was 98.1% which was higher than that of TTE 80%.

Conclusion

CG gated MSCT angiography is an accurate modality for demonstrating extra cardiac structures in complex CHD. It provides important complementary information to TTE with regard to extra cardiac vascular structures and coronary artery anatomy. This modality may reduce the need for high radiation dose invasive diagnostic cardiac catheterization.