Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 19, 2026

Identifying Coronary Artery Calcification on Non-gated Computed Tomography Scans
Published on: August 28, 2018
Relationship between diverse patient body size- and image acquisition-related factors, and quantitative and
Daisuke Utsunomiya1, Ryoichi Tanaka2, Kunihiro Yoshioka2
1Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, 1-1-1, Honjo, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto City, 860-8556, Japan. utsunomi@kumamoto-u.ac.jp.
Purpose:
We investigated the effects of patient- and image acquisition-related factors on the image quality in coronary CT angiography (CCTA).
Materials And Methods:
We enrolled 1197 patients (728 men; 65 ± 12 years). All underwent CCTA under the routine scan protocol in 23 participating hospitals. The subjective image quality (3-point Likert scale: excellent, good, and poor) and the attenuation of the left and right coronary artery (LCA, RCA) were recorded; the effects of patient and image acquisition-related factors on vascular attenuation were then compared.
Results:
The mean LCA attenuation was 515.2 ± 65.8 (excellent), 401.4 ± 63.4 (good), and 319.5 ± 47.6 HU (poor). The corresponding RCA attenuation was 496.6 ± 67.6, 390.5 ± 58.5, and 308.5 ± 50.7 HU, respectively. Univariate analysis revealed significant associations between sufficient coronary attenuation (> 400 HU) and the age, gender, body surface area (BSA), number of detectors, contrast synchronization, scan mode, and the fractional contrast dose. Multivariate analysis revealed that the bolus tracking method, prospective electrocardiogram gating, and fractional contrast dose were significantly associated with sufficient coronary enhancement.
Conclusion:
BSA and fractional contrast dose are the most important patient- and image acquisition-related factors for sufficient coronary attenuation in CCTA.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System V: CT
Imaging 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...
Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System VI: Calcium -Scoring CT
Computed 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...
Acute Coronary Syndrome III: Diagnostic Studies
Imaging Studies III: Computed Tomography

