Reduction of thoracic aorta motion artifact with high-pitch 128-slice dual-source computed tomographic angiography: a
Junichiro Nakagawa1, Osamu Tasaki, Yoshiyuki Watanabe
1From the *Department of Traumatology and Acute Critical Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka; †Department of Emergency Medicine, Unit of Clinical Medicine, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki; ‡Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka; §Division of Radiology, Department of Medical Technology, Osaka University Hospital, Osaka; ∥Department of Emergency Medical Center, Hyogo Prefectural Nishinomiya Hospital, Hyogo; and ¶Department of Biomedical Statistics, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
Insights
High-pitch dual-source CT (DSCT) effectively reduces motion artifacts in emergency room patients with thoracic aorta lesions. This advanced imaging enables clearer diagnoses, even in patients with tachycardia or those unable to hold their breath.
Area of Science:
- Radiology
- Cardiovascular Imaging
- Medical Technology
Background:
- Electrocardiogram-gated multi-detector row computed tomography (MDCT) reduces cardiac motion artifacts but is impractical for emergency settings.
- Motion artifacts remain a challenge in emergency thoracic aorta imaging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of a high-pitch, 128-slice dual-source CT (DSCT) scanner in reducing motion artifacts in emergency room patients.
- To assess the diagnostic quality of thoracic aorta imaging in an emergency setting using DSCT.
Main Methods:
- A comparative study involving 100 patients suspected of thoracic aorta lesions.
- 47 patients were scanned using a 128-slice DSCT scanner (DSCT group).
- 53 patients were scanned using a 64-slice MDCT scanner (MDCT group), with six thoracic aorta areas evaluated.
Main Results:
- Computed tomography images acquired with the DSCT scanner showed distinct clarity.
- Significant differences in image quality were observed across most evaluated thoracic aorta areas between the DSCT and MDCT groups.
- The descending aorta showed no significant difference between the groups.
Conclusions:
- High-pitch DSCT significantly reduces motion artifacts in the thoracic aorta.
- DSCT facilitates radiological diagnosis in emergency patients, including those with tachycardia or unable to perform breath holds.
- This technology improves diagnostic capabilities in acute settings.
Objectives:
Electrocardiogram-gated imaging combined with multi-detector row computed tomography (MDCT) has reduced cardiac motion artifacts, but it was not practical in the emergency setting. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of a high-pitch, 128-slice dual-source CT (DSCT) scanner to reduce motion artifacts in patients admitted to the emergency room.
Methods:
This study comprised 100 patients suspected of having thoracic aorta lesions. We examined 47 patients with the 128-slice DSCT scanner (DSCT group), and 53 patients were examined with a 64-slice MDCT scanner (MDCT group). Six anatomic areas in the thoracic aorta were evaluated.
Results:
Computed tomography images in the DSCT group were distinct, and significant differences were observed in images of all areas between the 2 groups except for the descending aorta.
Conclusions:
The high-pitch DSCT scanner can reduce motion artifacts of the thoracic aorta and enable radiological diagnosis even in patients with tachycardia and without breath hold.
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