Individually adapted, interactive multiplanar reformations vs. semi-automated coronary segmentation and curved planar reformations for stenosis detection in coronary computed tomography angiography.

Objective: To evaluate, whether semi-automated vessel extraction and curved planar reformations ("automated vessel extraction") increases diagnostic accuracy in the detection of relevant coronary artery lesions compared to manual, interactive multiplanar interpretation ("manual approach").

Materials And Methods: 50 coronary CT angiography datasets were evaluated by four independent readers (two experienced, two novice) for the presence of stenoses exceeding 50% diameter reduction. One experienced and one novice reader each used the "manual approach" for cases 1-25 and "automated vessel extraction" for cases 26-50, while the other two readers used the complementary method.

Comparison of dual-source computed tomography for the quantification of the aortic valve area in patients with aortic stenosis versus transthoracic echocardiography and invasive hemodynamic assessment.

We compared the measurements of the aortic valve area (AVA) using dual-source computed tomography (DSCT) in patients with mid to severe aortic stenosis to measurements using transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and invasive hemodynamic assessment. A total of 50 patients (mean age 73 +/- 10 years) with suspected aortic stenosis were included. The computed tomographic data were acquired using DSCT with standardized scan parameters (2 x 64 x 0.

Randomized comparison of 64-slice single- and dual-source computed tomography coronary angiography for the detection of coronary artery disease.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to analyze the influence of a systematic approach to lower heart rate for coronary computed tomography (CT) angiography on diagnostic accuracy of 64-slice single- and dual-source CT.

Background: Coronary CT angiography is often impaired by motion artifacts, so that routine lowering of heart rate is usually recommended. This is often conceived as a major limitation of the technique.

Assessment of changes in non-calcified atherosclerotic plaque volume in the left main and left anterior descending coronary arteries over time by 64-slice computed tomography.

Multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) permits the visualization of the coronary arteries and of coronary atherosclerotic plaques. The natural course of noncalcified plaque is not known. This study was conducted to measure the change in noncalcified coronary plaque volume in the left main coronary artery and in the proximal left anterior descending coronary artery over time using 64-slice MDCT.