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Identifying Coronary Artery Calcification on Non-gated Computed Tomography Scans
Published on: August 28, 2018
When Undergoing Thoracic CT (Computerized Tomography) Angiographies for Congenital Heart Diseases, Is It Possible to
Cigdem Uner1, Ali Osman Gulmez2, Hasibe Gokce Cinar1
1Department of Pediatric Radiology, Ankara Etlik City Hospital, Ankara 06170, Turkey.
Insights
This study evaluated coronary arteries in pediatric congenital heart disease patients using thoracic CT angiography. It found that examining coronary arteries during these scans can reveal important information about anomalies associated with congenital heart conditions.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Imaging
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Radiology
Background:
- Congenital heart disease (CHD) often involves complex cardiac anatomy.
- Coronary artery anomalies can occur in conjunction with CHD, impacting patient management.
- Thoracic CT angiography is a key imaging modality for evaluating cardiovascular structures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess coronary arteries in pediatric patients with CHD using thoracic CT angiography.
- To determine the frequency of coronary artery anomalies in CHD.
- To identify specific CHD types associated with particular coronary anomalies.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 100 pediatric patients (3 months-18 years) with CHD.
- Thoracic CT angiography performed using a 128-detector multidetector computed tomography scanner.
- Standardized acquisition parameters, contrast administration, and image reconstruction techniques were applied.
Main Results:
- 100 pediatric patients with CHD were included after applying exclusion criteria.
- The mean age of included patients was 4.4 years.
- Thoracic CT angiography allowed for the evaluation of coronary arteries in this cohort.
Conclusions:
- Thoracic CT angiography is valuable for visualizing coronary arteries in pediatric CHD patients.
- Careful examination of coronary arteries during CT angiography can aid in detecting anomalies.
- Identifying coronary anomalies in CHD can provide crucial diagnostic and prognostic information.
Introduction And Objective:
The aim of this study was to evaluate the coronary arteries in patients undergoing thoracic CT angiography for congenital heart disease, to determine the frequency of detection of coronary artery anomalies in congenital heart diseases, and to determine which type of anomaly is more common in which disease.
Materials And Methods:
In our investigation, a 128-detector multidetector computed tomography machine was used to perform thorax CT angiography. The acquisition parameters were set to 80-100 kVp based on the patient's age and mAs that the device automatically determined based on the patient's weight. During the examination, an intravenous (IV) nonionic contrast material dose of 1-1.5 mL/kg was employed. An automated injector was used to inject contrast material at a rate of 1.5-2 mL/s. In the axial plane, 2.5 mm sections were extracted, and they were rebuilt with 0.625 mm section thickness.
Results:
Between October 2022 and May 2024, 132 patients who were diagnosed with congenital heart disease by echocardiography and underwent Thorax CT angiography in our department were retrospectively evaluated. Of the evaluated patients, 32 were excluded with exclusion criteria such as patients being younger than 3 months, older than 18 years, insufficient contrast enhancement in imaging and contrast-enhanced imaging, thin vascular structure, and motion and contrast artifacts; the remaining 100 patients were included in this study. The age range of these patients was 3 months to 18 years (mean age 4.4 years).
Conclusion:
In congenital heart diseases, attention to the coronary arteries on thoracic CT angiography examination in the presence of possible coronary anomalies may provide useful information.
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