Multidetector-row CT angiography of the aorta and visceral arteries

Abstract

Within recent years, technical developments of multidetector-row CT (MDCT) have dramatically changed the application of CT angiography in the assessment of abdominal vascular pathologies. The simultaneous acquisition of multiple thin collimated slices in combination with enhanced gantry rotation speed offers thin slice coverage of extended volumes without any loss in spatial resolution. Using 4 detector-row CT scanners, the scan volume still has to be restricted and focused on dedicated abdominal vessel territories in order to provide high spatial resolution (1-2 mm), while 16 detector-row technology now enables full abdominal coverage from the diaphragm to the groin with full spatial resolution. Therefore, comprehensive CT angiography of the abdomen can be performed without the necessity of focusing on any vascular territory. This technique enables the evaluation of the whole arterial visceral vasculature (e.g., hepatic vessels, mesenteric vessels, renal arteries) and the aortic-iliac axis in a single data acquisition.