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Background: Scanxiety, the anxiety/stress associated with an imaging test, has never been evaluated in relation to coronary CT angiography (Coronary CTA). As it could impact heart rate and thereby affect image quality of Coronary CTA, we aimed to evaluate the prevalence, severity, and impact of scanxiety on quality and interpretability of Coronary CTA., Methods: 366 consecutive patients were prospectively presented with a clinical questionnaire comprising two tests to evaluate their scan-related anxiety: the Impact of Event IES-6 (6 questions, final score 0-24) and a visual stress-scale (1 question, score 1-10). Patient demographics, heart rate and final image quality scored by two readers were recorded. Potential independent correlations were sought between IES-6 scanxiety level and image quality, heart rate variability and demographics, using an ordinal logistic regression model., Results: 344 patients (59.9% men, 57.6 ± 10.7yo) completed the questionnaire. 74.1% (255 patients) reported some scan-related distress, with a mean IES-6 score of 4.1 ± 4.3 (range 0-18). There was no significant difference in terms of age, sex or indications for Coronary CTA between the non-anxious (IES-6 = 0) and the anxious (IES-6>0) patients. There was no significant independent correlation between image quality and IES-6 score (OR = 0.98, p = 0.62), nor between IES-6 score and heart rate variability (effect = -0.005, p = 0.97)., Conclusion: The prevalence of scan-related anxiety - aka scanxiety - in Coronary CTA patients is high (74.1%) but does not appear to impact image quality and interpretability., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Introduction: A standardised approach to the interpretation of FFRCT data is currently lacking. We evaluated the rate of reclassification of FFRCT positivity using the FFRCT value distal to an anatomical stenoses compared to the lowest FFRCT value., Method: Patients who underwent coronary CTA and FFRCT analysis were eligible. FFRCT value of ≤ 0.80 was considered positive. Positive FFRCT distal to stenosis was defined as those with a stenoses of ≥ 25% with an associated FFRCT value of ≤ 0.80 within 2cm distal to the lesion. Outcome data on subsequent invasive coronary angiography (ICA) and coronary revascularisation were collected with a minimum follow-up of 60 days to account for delay between referral for invasive testing and/or revascularisation and receiving the procedure., Result: 192 patients (mean age 60.7 ± 10.6 years, 67.5% men) were included. FFRCT was positive for lowest FFRCT value in 55.7% of patients. Positive FFRCT value distal to stenosis was found in 31.3%. The overall reclassification rate of those positive for lowest FFRCT value to negative for FFRCT value distal to stenosis was 43.9% (p < 0.01). The reclassification rates were most pronounced for those with intermediate stenoses - 67% for those with < 50% stenoses, p < 0.01; 49% for 50-69% stenoses, p < 0.01. Amongst those who underwent ICA, the rate of revascularization was significant higher for those with positive FFRCT distal to stenosis compared to those positive for lowest FFRCT value (revascularization/ICA = 0.53 vs 0.44, p < 0.01)., Conclusion: Using FFRCT values distal to a anatomical stenoses, 44% of patients positive for lowest FFRCT value were reclassified as negative for FFRCT value distal to stenosis. Those who underwent ICA, the rate of revascularisation was higher amongst those with positive FFRCT distal to stenosis compared to those positive for lowest FFRCT value., (Copyright © 2017 Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Microvascular angina (MVA) is an incompletely understood clinical entity. Computational analysis of coronary Computed Tomography Angiography (CTA) has shown an association between low coronary lumen volume to myocardial mass (V/M) ratio and lower Fractional Flow Reserve values, independent of plaque measures. We hypothesized that low V/M ratio may be present in patients with MVA., Methods: A retrospective case-control analysis was performed using patients fulfilling guideline criteria for MVA with controls matched for age, gender, coronary risk factors and atherosclerotic plaque burden. V/M was extracted off site (Heartflow Inc; Redwood City, CA) employing allometric scaling laws that allow the definition of the coronary circulation beyond the epicardium. FFR CT values were calculated in the major epicardial coronary arteries for each group., Results: A total of 30 patients with MVA and 32 matched controls were included in the study. Mean total coronary lumen volume (2302 mm 3  ± 109 vs 2978 mm 3  ± 134, p < 0.001) and mean myocardial mass (90.4 g ± 13.7 vs 100.4 g ± 20.1, p = 0.029) were lower in MVA patients compared to controls. Mean V/M ratio was significantly lower in MVA compared to controls (25.6 mm 3 /g ± 5.9 vs 30.0 mm 3 /g ± 6.5, p = 0.007; c-statistic 0.69). V/M ratio did not differ significantly between subclasses of angina severity (p = 0.747). No difference in mean nadir FFR CT values was found between MVA and control groups in the LAD (0.86 ± 0.07 vs 0.83 ± 0.07, p = 0.154), LCX (0.90 ± 0.05 vs 0.90 ± 0.06, p = 0.240) and RCA (0.90 ± 0.04 vs 0.90 ± 0.03, p = 0.773) vessels., Conclusion: Patients with microvascular angina demonstrate a significantly lower coronary CTA-derived coronary volume/myocardial mass ratio than asymptomatic controls., (Copyright © 2017 Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: We sought to validate whether low dose CACS CT with hybrid IR (HIR) could replace standard dose filtered back projection (FBP)., Method: We enrolled 100 patients to undergo low dose CACS CT with HIR, in addition to routine full dose FBP., Results: No significant difference between full and low dose CT in Agatston score 138.2±360.6 vs. 137.3±356.4 (p=0.272) or calcium mass score 19±48.3 vs. 18.7±49 (p=0.8), respectively. Bland-Altman analysis showed no systematic bias. Calcium volume difference was statistically significant 57.2±134 vs. 55.1±130.2 (p=0.001)., Conclusion: Low dose CT for calcium scoring with HIR enables stable CACS Agatston score and calcium mass quantification as compared to full dose FBP., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)