64-MDCT imaging of the coronary arteries and systemic arterial vascular tree in a single examination: optimisation of the scan protocol and contrast-agent administration

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study was to validate a 64-row multidetector computed tomography (64-MDCT) acquisition protocol with biphasic administration of contrast medium for comprehensive assessment of the coronary and systemic arterial tree in a single examination.

Materials and methods: The scanning protocol comprised two acquisitions: an electrocardiograph (ECG)-gated scan at the level of the heart, followed by a total-body, low-dose scan of the systemic arterial circulation. Twenty patients were evaluated using two different strategies for contrast administration. In ten patients, the delay between the two acquisitions was set at 40 s, whereas in the remaining patients, it varied between 45 s and 65 s. For both strategies, the degree of systemic arterial opacification and the attenuation gradient between arterial and venous structures were quantitatively assessed at six extracoronary locations. Two observers evaluated in consensus the presence or absence of atherosclerosis and the degree of stenosis of arterial segments.

Results: Three hundred coronary segments were analysed. Arterial-wall changes were depicted in 155 (51%) segments, and in 35 (23%), the degree of stenosis was > 50%. Of the 640 extracoronary arterial segments, 250 (39%) presented atherosclerotic wall alterations, in 50 (20%), the degree of stenosis was > 50% and five were affected by aneurysmal dilatation. The magnitude of arterial opacification values and attenuation gradients between arterial and venous structures were significantly higher in patients scanned with the 40-s fixed-delay strategy.

Conclusions: Whole-body CT angiography with biphasic administration of contrast agent and fixed scan delay has been shown to be a feasible and reproducible technique. Comprehensive data on the global atherosclerotic burden potentially offer important therapeutic options for subclinical, high-risk segments.