Use of automatic exposure control in multislice computed tomography of the coronaries: comparison of 16-slice and 64-slice scanner data with conventional coronary angiography.

Objective: To evaluate the radiation-dose-reduction potential of automatic exposure control (AEC) in 16-slice and 64-slice multislice computed tomography (MSCT) of the coronary arteries (computed tomography angiography, CTA) in patients. The rapid growth in MSCT CIA emphasises the necessity of adjusting technique factors to reduce radiation dose exposure. Design: A retrospective data analysis was performed for 154 patients who had undergone MSCT CTA. Group 1 (n = 56) had undergone 16-slice MSCT without AEC, and group 2 (n = 51), with AEC. In group 1, invasive coronary angiography (ICA) had been performed in addition. Group 3 (n = 47) had been examined using a 64-slice scanner (with AEC, without ECG-triggered tube current modulation). Results: In group 1, the mean (SD) effective dose (ED) for MSCT CIA was 9.76 (1 .84) mSv and for ICA it was 2.6 (1.27) mSv. In group 2, the mean ED for MSCT CIA was 5.83 (1.73) mSv, which signifies a 42.8% dose reduction for CTA by the use of AEC. In comparison to ICA, MSCT CIA without AEC shows a 3.8-fold increase in radiation dose, and the radiation dose of CTA with AEC was increased by a factor of 1 .9. In group 3, the mean ED for MSCT CIA was 1 3.58 (2.80) mSV. Conclusions: This is the first study to show the significant dose-reduction potential (42.8%) of AEC in MSCT CIA in patients. This relatively new technique can be used to optimise the radiation dose levels in MSCT CIA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]