1. [Effects of image quality of intravenous three-dimensional electron beam coronary angiography].
- Author
-
Lu B, Dai RP, and Jiang SL
- Subjects
- Aged, Female, Humans, Imaging, Three-Dimensional, Male, Middle Aged, Quality Control, Coronary Angiography methods, Coronary Disease diagnostic imaging, Tomography, X-Ray Computed methods
- Abstract
Objective: To identify reasons for poor image quality and nonassessability of coronary artery segments, and compare results between early and late diastolic triggering on coronary electron beam angiography (EBA)., Methods: One hundred patients referred for EBA were studied. Contrast-enhanced transaxial coronary images were acquired using electrocardiographic triggering and reconstructed three-dimensionally using volume rendering techniques. The image quality of coronary segments and image artifacts were analyzed statistically., Results: Volume rendering was failed in 7 patients (7%) due to cardiac and breathing motions. Image quality was the best with the left main (LM), and worst with the left circumflex (LCX) coronary artery (P < 0.001). The image quality decreased systematically from proximal to distal within each coronary artery (P < 0.001). Forty percent R-R interval triggering on electrocardiography was better than 80% for image quality. The nonassessable segments occurred in 3% of LM, 2%, 8%, and 5% of proximal, 24%, 22%, and 12% of mid, 64%, 45%, and 20% of distal segments of the left anterior descending (LAD), LCX, and right coronary artery (RCA), respectively (P < 0.05)., Conclusions: The major limitations of coronary EBA are in suboptimal spatial resolution and image artifacts. The image quality could be improved by using optimal electrocardiographic triggering.
- Published
- 2002