Subtraction coronary CT angiography using second-generation 320-detector row CT.

The purpose of this study was to explore the feasibility of subtraction coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) by second-generation 320-detector row CT in patients with severe coronary artery calcification using invasive coronary angiography (ICA) as the gold standard. This study was approved by the institutional board, and all subjects provided written consent. Twenty patients with calcium scores of >400 underwent conventional CCTA and subtraction CCTA followed by ICA.

Usefulness of dynamic volume scanning with 320-row CT in detecting recanalization of pulmonary arteriovenous fistula after coil embolization.

Pulmonary arteriovenous fistula is a congenital and rarely acquired anomalous direct communications between pulmonary arteries and veins. Transcatheter embolization using metallic coil or detachable balloon is one of the common treatment procedure. However, recanalization after the embolization is one of the concern and its differentiation from the retrograde filling via pulmonary vein is difficult except using invasive angiography.

Subtraction coronary CT angiography for calcified lesions.

One of the main problems in coronary angiography using 64-row computed tomography (CT) is that the presence of severe calcification interferes with the assessment of lesions, which reduces diagnostic accuracy and may even make assessment of some coronary artery segments impossible. With 320-row CT, it is possible to avoid this problem by performing subtraction coronary CT, which fully exploits the performance capabilities of the CT system. However, subtraction coronary CT has several limitations.