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Identifying Coronary Artery Calcification on Non-gated Computed Tomography Scans
Published on: August 28, 2018
[Non-invasive assessment of coronary artery bypass grafts by computed tomography: comparison with conventional
Alberto Trigo Bautista1, Jordi Estornell, Francisco Ridocci
1Servicio de Cardiología, Consorcio Hospital General Universitario de Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
Insights
Multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) accurately assesses coronary artery bypass grafts. This non-invasive imaging technique demonstrates high sensitivity and specificity for detecting significant graft lesions.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Imaging
- Medical Diagnostics
- Radiology
Background:
- Computed tomography (CT) shows high accuracy for assessing coronary arteries.
- Limited studies have evaluated CT's reliability for coronary artery bypass grafts (CABGs).
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the diagnostic accuracy of multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) for assessing coronary artery bypass grafts.
Main Methods:
- Prospective evaluation of 117 coronary grafts in 38 patients post-CABG surgery.
- Non-invasive assessment using a 16-detector scanner with 1.2 mm slice thickness.
- Comparison of MDCT results with conventional angiography for significant lesions (occlusion or >50% stenosis).
Main Results:
- MDCT visualized 93.2% of grafts compared to 84.6% with angiography.
- Overall sensitivity and specificity for MDCT were 92% and 97.3%.
- High accuracy was observed for both venous (97.6% specificity) and arterial grafts (100% sensitivity).
Conclusions:
- Multidetector computed tomography offers high diagnostic accuracy for coronary artery bypass graft assessment.
- MDCT is a reliable non-invasive tool for evaluating CABG patency and detecting significant lesions.
Introduction And Objectives:
Although it has been demonstrated that the diagnostic accuracy of computed tomography in the non-invasive assessment of major epicardial coronary arteries is high, only a few studies have evaluated the technique's reliability in assessing coronary artery bypass grafts. The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of multidetector computed tomography in the assessment of coronary grafts.
Patients And Method:
We prospectively evaluated 117 coronary grafts in 38 patients who had undergone coronary artery bypass graft surgery and who had a clinical indication for angiographic graft assessment. All patients were in sinus rhythm and had a heart rate below 75 bpm. A 16-detector scanner was used for non-invasive assessment of the coronary grafts at a slice thickness of 1.2 mm. The diagnostic accuracy of computed tomography in the non-invasive assessment of significant lesions (i.e., occluded lesions or those with a stenosis greater than 50%) in coronary artery bypass grafts was evaluated by comparison with the results of conventional angiography.
Results:
Of the 117 grafts evaluated, 99 (84.6%) were visualized by conventional angiography and 109 (93.2%) by computed tomography. Overall, 98 grafts were analyzed using both techniques. The sensitivity and specificity of computed tomography in detecting significant lesions were: 92% and 97.3%, respectively, for all grafts; 89.5% and 97.6%, respectively, for venous grafts; and 100% and 96.8%, respectively, for arterial grafts.
Conclusions:
The diagnostic accuracy of multidetector computed tomography in coronary artery bypass graft assessment was high.
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