Background: Conventional coronary angiography (CCA) is a safe but invasive procedure with a small risk of mortality and morbidity. There have been several attempts to develop a noninvasive alternative, and in recent years, contrast-enhanced coronary angiography by multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) has demonstrated tremendous potential with 64-row technology. We assessed the diagnostic accuracy of multislice computed tomography (MSCT) coronary angiography using a new 64-slice scanner.
Methods: Scheduled for conventional coronary angiography, 17 symptomatic patients underwent multidetector CT-assisted angiography within 1 week. Four major coronary arteries (Left main, LAD, LCx, and RCA) were evaluated.
Results: Total sixty eight segments were evaluated. Segment-by-segment analyses for sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were 87%, 71%, 68%, and 88%, respectively.
Conclusions: The 64-slice multidetector CT coronary angiography can reliably detect the presence of significant coronary stenosis (more than 50% stenosis) in symptomatic patients, but remains limited by artifacts.
|
