研究目的
To evaluate the feasibility of coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) in patients with free-breathing using 16-cm z-coverage CT with motion correction algorithm.
研究成果
Free-breathing CCTA protocol used in our study did not show any significant difference in image quality, radiation dose and diagnostic performance from breath-holding. For patients with difficulties in holding their breath, free-breathing CCTA during a single cardiac cycle using scanners with 16-cm z-axis coverage and motion correction algorithm can be an alternative solution for coronary artery evaluation.
研究不足
First, we did not examine same patient with both free-breathing and breath-holding, and therefore we were unable to compare the two methods directly. Second, although our study population was the largest reported in the literature on free-breathing CCTA, the sample size of patients underwent both CCTA and ICA in our study was still relatively small, which may affect the statistical results for the diagnostic accuracy analysis. In addition, since only 18 subjects in both groups were examined with heart rate more than 100 bpm, whether the success of free-breathing CCTA can be extrapolated to higher heart rates needs further evaluation. Third, the results of our study were limited to 16-cm z-axis coverage CT scanners with motion correction algorithm. We were unable to perform the comparison in image quality and diagnostic accuracy with and without motion correction, for determining the additive effect of the motion correction to improve image quality and diagnostic accuracy.
