Dual-source CT coronary angiography without heart rate or rhythm control in comparison with conventional coronary...

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Imaging
• Radiology
• Diagnostic Technology

Background:

• Coronary artery stenosis (CAS) diagnosis often requires heart rate control during imaging.
• Dual-source CT angiography (DSCTA) offers potential for rapid cardiac imaging.
• Evaluating DSCTA's efficacy without heart rate control is crucial for clinical application.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the diagnostic value and accuracy of DSCTA in identifying coronary artery stenosis (CAS).
• To evaluate DSCTA performance in patients with uncontrolled heart rates or rhythms.
• To compare DSCTA findings with conventional coronary angiography (CCA) as the gold standard.

Main Methods:

• Eighty-nine patients with varying heart rates/rhythms underwent both DSCTA and CCA within a week.
• Diagnostic quality of coronary segments was analyzed for both modalities.
• Kappa test assessed intermodality agreement for CAS grading; CCA served as the gold standard.

Main Results:

• DSCTA achieved a high evaluable rate (98.8%) for coronary arteries, irrespective of heart rate.
• Sensitivity and specificity for detecting CAS were 97.9% and 96.8%, respectively.
• Excellent intermodality agreement (k=0.856) was observed between DSCTA and CCA in grading CAS.

Conclusions:

• DSCTA is a highly accurate and reliable tool for evaluating CAS, even without heart rate control.
• The technique demonstrates significant potential as a primary diagnostic tool for CAS.
• DSCTA may serve as a viable alternative to conventional coronary angiography in selected patient groups.