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Axial pulmonary trunk diameter variations during the cardiac cycle
Yasin Sarıkaya1, Sevtap Arslan2, Onur Taydaş2
1Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Hacettepe University, Sıhhiye, 06100, Ankara, Turkey. yasinsarikaya@hotmail.com.tr.
Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy : SRA
|May 15, 2020
Summary
Pulmonary trunk diameter (PTD) varies significantly between the systolic and diastolic phases of the cardiac cycle. This variation in PTD measured on CT scans is important for accurate pulmonary artery pressure assessment.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Imaging
- Radiology
- Pulmonary Hypertension
Background:
- Pulmonary trunk diameter (PTD) on chest CT is correlated with pulmonary artery pressure.
- The phase of the cardiac cycle during PTD measurement on CT is often unrecorded.
- Understanding PTD variations is crucial for accurate diagnostic interpretations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the variations in pulmonary trunk diameter (PTD) throughout the cardiac cycle.
- To assess if PTD measurements differ significantly between systolic and diastolic phases.
- To investigate the influence of cardiac cycle phase on PTD measurements using coronary CT angiography (CCTA).
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 101 patients undergoing CCTA.
- Reconstruction of CCTA images across the full cardiac cycle.
- Measurement of systolic and diastolic PTD and ascending aorta diameter (AAD) by two independent observers from the same slice.
Main Results:
- Excellent inter-observer agreement (ICC=0.99) for all CT measurements.
- Mean systolic PTD (26.3 mm) was significantly larger than mean diastolic PTD (22.8 mm) (p<0.001).
- Mean PTD difference between systole and diastole was 3.5 mm, with smaller variations in AAD and PTD/AAD ratio.
Conclusions:
- Pulmonary trunk diameter (PTD) exhibits significant variation during the cardiac cycle.
- Observed PTD changes between systole and diastole can influence interpretations of chest CT scans.
- Increased PTD on CT may reflect physiological cardiac cycle variation rather than pathology.
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