OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the performance characteristics of electrocardiographically triggered, contrast-enhanced electron beam CT (EBCT) in defining the coronary artery lumen in healthy subjects. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The coronary arteries of 11 healthy young men (mean age, 24 years old) were evaluated by contrast-enhanced EBCT. Measured parameters included degree of luminal enhancement, intravascular contrast-to-noise ratio, apparent luminal diameter, and length of continuously visualized lumen (100-H threshold for diameter and length measurements). RESULTS: Aortic blood pool attenuation was 44 +/- 5 H (mean +/- SD) before and 278 +/- 35 H after IV injection of contrast material. Contrast-to-noise ratios ranged from a high of 10.0 +/- 2.6 in the proximal right coronary artery to a low of 3.2 +/- 2.7 in the distal left circumflex artery, decreasing from proximal to distal within each vessel. Apparent luminal diameters were as follows: left main coronary artery, 4.5 +/- 0.6 mm; left anterior descending artery, 3.7 +/- 0.5 mm; left circumflex artery, 2.9 +/- 0.6 mm; and right coronary artery, 3.5 +/- 0.5 mm. The mean lengths of visualized lumina were as follows: left main coronary artery, 10 +/- 4 mm; left anterior descending artery, 65 +/- 26 mm; left circumflex artery, 45 +/- 20 mm; and right coronary artery, 58 +/- 24 mm. CONCLUSION: EBCT angiography can reveal the lumen of long segments of the major coronary arteries.
OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the performance characteristics of electrocardiographically triggered, contrast-enhanced electron beam CT (EBCT) in defining the coronary artery lumen in healthy subjects. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The coronary arteries of 11 healthy young men (mean age, 24 years old) were evaluated by contrast-enhanced EBCT. Measured parameters included degree of luminal enhancement, intravascular contrast-to-noise ratio, apparent luminal diameter, and length of continuously visualized lumen (100-H threshold for diameter and length measurements). RESULTS: Aortic blood pool attenuation was 44 +/- 5 H (mean +/- SD) before and 278 +/- 35 H after IV injection of contrast material. Contrast-to-noise ratios ranged from a high of 10.0 +/- 2.6 in the proximal right coronary artery to a low of 3.2 +/- 2.7 in the distal left circumflex artery, decreasing from proximal to distal within each vessel. Apparent luminal diameters were as follows: left main coronary artery, 4.5 +/- 0.6 mm; left anterior descending artery, 3.7 +/- 0.5 mm; left circumflex artery, 2.9 +/- 0.6 mm; and right coronary artery, 3.5 +/- 0.5 mm. The mean lengths of visualized lumina were as follows: left main coronary artery, 10 +/- 4 mm; left anterior descending artery, 65 +/- 26 mm; left circumflex artery, 45 +/- 20 mm; and right coronary artery, 58 +/- 24 mm. CONCLUSION: EBCT angiography can reveal the lumen of long segments of the major coronary arteries.
Authors: T C Gerber; P F Sheedy; M R Bell; D L Hayes; J A Rumberger; T Behrenbeck; D R Holmes; R S Schwartz Journal: Int J Cardiovasc Imaging Date: 2001-02 Impact factor: 2.357