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Anatomical Reconstructions of the Human Cardiac Venous System using Contrast-computed Tomography of Perfusion-fixed Specimens
Published on: April 18, 2013
Three-dimensional visualization of the coronary venous system using multidetector row computed tomography
Hiroshi Tada1, Kenji Kurosaki, Shigeto Naito
1Divisions of Cardiology, Gunma Prefectural Cardiovascular Center, Maebashi, Japan. tada.h@cvc.pref.gunma.jp
Insights
Multidetector row computed tomography (MDCT) effectively visualizes the coronary venous system (CVS) in most patients. This non-invasive imaging provides valuable anatomical insights for cardiovascular assessments.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Imaging
- Radiology
- Anatomical Visualization
Background:
- Assessing the coronary venous system (CVS) anatomy is crucial for cardiovascular health.
- Non-invasive imaging techniques are sought for CVS evaluation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the feasibility and image quality of contrast-enhanced multidetector row computed tomography (MDCT) for visualizing the CVS.
- To evaluate the diagnostic performance of MDCT in depicting coronary veins.
Main Methods:
- Seventy patients underwent contrast-enhanced MDCT scans.
- Six cardiac cycle datasets were acquired per patient.
- Three-dimensional reconstructions were used to analyze coronary vein visualization and image quality.
Main Results:
- MDCT successfully visualized the CVS in 91% of patients.
- Coronary sinus and middle cardiac vein were consistently identified.
- Image quality varied, with systole-acquired data showing larger diameters but more artifacts than diastole-acquired data.
Conclusions:
- Multidetector row computed tomography (MDCT) is a viable non-invasive method for evaluating coronary venous system (CVS) anatomy.
- MDCT offers valuable anatomical information in the majority of patients studied.
Background:
This study was undertaken to investigate the applicability and image quality of contrast-enhanced visualization of the coronary venous system (CVS) by multidetector row computed tomography (MDCT).
Methods And Results:
A total of 70 patients underwent MDCT and for each patient, 6 data sets were created throughout the cardiac cycle. The number and location of coronary veins were evaluated in 3-dimensional images using the 6 data sets. The quality of all images reconstructed from the 6 data sets was too poor to evaluate the CVS in 6 patients (9%). In the remaining 64 patients (91%), the diameter of the CVS was usually greater in the images reconstructed from data acquired during systole than in those reconstructed from data acquired during diastole. However, artifacts were observed more often in images from systole than from diastole. The coronary sinus and middle cardiac vein were visible in all 64 patients. The left marginal and posterior veins also were identified in 54 (84%) and 60 patients (94%), respectively.
Conclusions:
MDCT can be used as a non-invasive modality for evaluating the CVS anatomy in most patients.
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