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High-pitch dual-source CT coronary angiography: systolic data acquisition at high heart rates

Robert Goetti1, Gudrun Feuchtner, Paul Stolzmann

  • 1Institute of Diagnostic Radiology, University Hospital Zurich, Raemistrasse 100, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland.

European Radiology
|June 30, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Systolic acquisition in electrocardiography (ECG)-triggered high-pitch computed tomography (CT) significantly reduces motion artifacts in coronary arteries for patients with high heart rates (HRs). This improves image quality at a low radiation dose.

Area of Science:

  • Radiology
  • Cardiovascular Imaging
  • Medical Imaging Technology

Background:

  • High heart rates (HRs) in patients pose challenges for coronary artery imaging during computed tomography angiography (CTA).
  • Motion artifacts can degrade image quality, impacting diagnostic accuracy in cardiac CT scans.
  • Electrocardiography (ECG)-triggered high-pitch CT protocols aim to minimize these artifacts.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the impact of systolic data acquisition timing within an ECG-triggered high-pitch CT protocol.
  • To assess the reduction of motion artifacts in coronary arteries of patients with high HRs (≥ 70 bpm).
  • To compare image quality and radiation dose between different systolic window settings.

Main Methods:

  • Eighty patients with HR ≥ 70 bpm underwent thoracic aorta CTA using a 128-slice dual-source CT scanner.
  • A high-pitch acquisition mode (pitch = 3.2) was employed, with ECG-triggering set at 60% (Group A) or 30% (Group B) of the RR interval.
  • Two blinded readers assessed coronary artery image quality using a three-point scale, and radiation doses were calculated.

Main Results:

  • Coronary artery image quality was significantly better in Group B (30% RR interval) compared to Group A (60% RR interval), with fewer non-diagnostic segments (2.8% vs 8.3%, p < 0.001).
  • A higher proportion of patients in Group A had at least one non-diagnostic coronary segment (42.5% vs 30.0%).
  • Effective radiation doses for chest CTA were low, averaging 2.3 ± 0.3 mSv.

Conclusions:

  • Utilizing a systolic acquisition window (30% RR interval) in high-pitch dual-source CTA significantly enhances coronary artery image quality.
  • This technique is effective in patients with high heart rates (≥ 70 bpm).
  • The improved image quality is achieved while maintaining a low radiation dose, making it suitable for clinical use.
Abstract

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