Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 4, 2026
Identifying Coronary Artery Calcification on Non-gated Computed Tomography Scans
Published on: August 28, 2018
Coronary artery calcium detection using flat panel digital cinefluoroscopy: comparison to coronary artery calcium
Dimitrios Alexopoulos1, Maria Papathanasiou, Christina Kalogeropoulou
1Department of Cardiology, Patras University Hospital, Rion 26500, Patras, Greece. dalex@med.upatras.gr
Background:
The diagnostic accuracy of flat panel digital detector (FPDD) cinefluoroscopy for coronary artery calcium (CAC) detection, compared to multiple detector computed tomography (MDCT), is not known.
Methods:
CAC was assessed by FPDD cinefluoroscopy (graded as 0,1, 2 and 3) and calcium score (CACS) was determined by MDCT in 151 asymptomatic individuals of low to intermediate cardiovascular risk, 40-60 years old (mean age 53.1 ± 7.4, men 76.5%).
Results:
CAC was detected by MDCT and cinefluoroscopy in 79 (52.3%) and 69 (45.7%) of cases respectively. Agreement between MDCT and cinefluoroscopy was 77.5% (weighted kappa coefficient 0.75). Cinefluoroscopy was able to detect CAC in 50% of subjects with minimal CACS (<10). For CACS=0, area under the curve (AUC) was 0.89 (95% CI 0.83-0.93, p=0.0001) with sensitivity 82.3% and specificity 94.4%. For CACS=10, AUC was 0.91 (95% CI 0.86-0.95, p=0.0001) with sensitivity 91.8% and specificity 85.6%. For CACS=400, AUC was 0.97 (95% CI 0.94-0.99, p=0.0001) with sensitivity 100% and specificity 88.7%. The effective radiation dose was 1.8 ± 0.09 mSv for CT and 0.26 ± 0.13 mSv for cinefluoroscopy.
Conclusions:
Cinefluoroscopy performed with 'state-of-the art' FPDD technology has an excellent diagnostic accuracy compared to the 'gold standard' MDCT for CAC detection in middle aged, low to intermediate cardiovascular risk, asymptomatic individuals, with the advantage of lower radiation exposure.
More Related Videos
06:57Semi-Automatic Graphical Tool for Measuring Coronary Artery Spatially Weighted Calcium Score from Gated Cardiac Computed Tomography Images
Published on: September 22, 2023
08:02Novel Quantification Protocol for Cardiovascular Calcification Progression Using Longitudinal MicroPET/MicroCT Images
Published on: November 15, 2024
Related Concept Videos
01:25Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System VI: Calcium -Scoring CT
01:28Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System V: CT
01:30Acute Coronary Syndrome III: Diagnostic Studies
01:10Computed 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...
01:20Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System III: X-Ray
Definition and Purpose
An X-ray, or radiograph, is a non-invasive method that uses ionizing radiation to take images of internal structures. It is mainly used in cardiac imaging to examine the heart, lungs, and major blood vessels, aiming to identify abnormalities in the heart's size, shape, and position, such as heart failure, congenital defects, and vascular...
01:21Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System IV: CMRI