Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 27, 2026

Tissue Preparation Techniques for Contrast-Enhanced Micro Computed Tomography Imaging of Large Mammalian Cardiac Models with Chronic Disease
Published on: February 8, 2022
Comparison of image quality in contrast-enhanced coronary-artery visualization by electron beam tomography and
Stephan Achenbach1, Tom Giesler, Dieter Ropers
1Department of Internal Medicine II, Institute of Diagnostic Radiology, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany. stephan.achenbach@rzmail.uni-erlangen.de
Rationale And Objectives:
To compare the image quality of electron beam tomography (EBT) and multislice spiral CT (MSCT) for coronary artery visualization.
Materials And Methods:
Two groups of 30 patients without coronary stenoses were studied by MSCT (4 x 1 mm collimation) or EBT (3 mm slice thickness). Contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), overall length of the visualized arteries and vessel length free of motion artifacts were measured.
Results:
Length of visualized arteries was equal in MSCT and EBT. In EBT, longer segments were depicted free of motion artifacts (MSCT: 73%, EBT: 92% of visualized length, P< 0.001) and CNR was significantly higher than in MSCT (15.4 vs. 9.0; P< 0.001). In both modalities, vessel diameters correlated closely to quantitative coronary angiography.
Conclusions:
EBT and MSCT permit reliable coronary artery visualization and measurement of vessel diameters. For the used scan protocol, MSCT images had a lower CNR and were more frequently affected by motion.
Related Concept Videos
Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System V: CT
Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System II:Types of Echocardiography
Types of Echocardiography
Transthoracic Echocardiography (TTE)
TTE is the most common type of echocardiogram which involves placing a transducer on the patient's chest, emitting sound waves to create heart images. TTE is invaluable for evaluating the heart's size, structure, and motion, making it particularly useful for diagnosing...
Acute Coronary Syndrome III: Diagnostic Studies
Computed Tomography
The technique was invented in the 1970s and is based on the principle that as X-rays pass through the body, they are absorbed or reflected at different levels. In the technique, a patient lies on a motorized platform while a computerized axial tomography (CAT) scanner rotates...
Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System VI: Calcium -Scoring CT
Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System I:Echocardiography
Indications: Echocardiography is utilized to diagnose heart failure, valve disorders, and myocardial infarction. It also assesses cardiac structures' size, shape, and motion, evaluates...
