Aims and objectives
MSCT has become a valuable tool to evaluate the heart and thorax anatomy in children affected by congenital heart disease (CHD) [1-3].
Low dose MSCT (LDMSCT) with last generation CT scans has a proven efficacy in depicting extra and intra-cardiac structures with low biological costs in term of x-rays administration,
quantity of contrast medium and time of sedation [2-7].
In our hospital,the surgeonoften asks to describe the course of the coronary arteries,
expeciallybeforere-do surgery and in complex congenital cardiopathy with suspicion of coronary artery origin...
Methods and materials
In this retrospective study,
we reviewed 42 consecutive infants,
that underwent LDMSCT for pre or post surgical evaluation from January 2013 to September 2014.
All the investigations were not dedicated to the evaluation of the coronary arteries,
they were carried out with one or more phases in relation to specific clinical questions of the specialist.
Examinations were performed with a 320 MSCT scan using two different protocols (Table1) with same parameters (volume acquisition,
80 kv,
0,35 s rotation speed,
automatic mAs erogation) after injection of...
Results
Results are summarized in Tab.3.
Image quality in EGP,
mean values: QS 4± 1,9 ; QI 252±135 mm/HU; VO 21/25 (84%).
Image quality in NEGP,
mean values: QS 2± 1,7 ; QI 162±172 mm/HU; VO 9/17 (53%).
Difference of QS and QI between the two samples was significant (T test,
p<0,05).
Dosimetric datas in EGP,
mean values: exposure 31+/-9 mAs,
EI 6,5+/2,7 mAs/Kg.
Dosimetric datas in NEGP,
mean values: exposure 29+/-17 mAs,
EI 7,2+/5,1 mAs/Kg.
Conclusion
LDMSCT is then an effective tool for the evaluation of infants with CHD,
compared to other diagnostic methods,
to investigate thoracic cardiac and extra-cardiac structures,
providing all the details required for the surgeon and the interventionist .
For the same dose,
EGP give a better visualization of the coronary tree,
with an added value for the cardiac surgeon in investigating CHD children.
ECG-gated acquisition with 320 LDMSCT in conclusion consistently improvesvisualization of extra and intra-cardiac structures and the course of the coronary arteries,
without any...
Personal information
Carla Susini,
MD
Department of Radiology,
Heart Hospital "G.
Pasquinucci",
FTGM,
Massa (MS),
Italy
email:
[email protected]
Daniele Della Latta,
PhD
Department of Radiology,
Heart Hospital "G.
Pasquinucci",
FTGM,
Massa (MS),
Italy
Francesco Avogliero,
MD
Department of Radiology,
Heart Hospital "G.
Pasquinucci",
FTGM,
Massa (MS),
Italy
Valeria Piagneri,
MD
Department of Radiology,
Heart Hospital "G.
Pasquinucci",
FTGM,
Massa (MS),
Italy
Marta Zangani,
MD
Department of Radiology,
Heart Hospital "G.
Pasquinucci",
FTGM,
Massa (MS),
Italy
Dante Chiappino,
MD
Department of Radiology,
Heart Hospital "G.
Pasquinucci",
FTGM,
Massa...
References
1.Han BK,
Lesser JR.
CT imaging in congenital heart disease: an approach to imaging and interpreting complex lesions after surgical intervention for tetralogy of Fallot,
transposition of the great arteries,
and single ventrice heart desease.
J Cardiovasc Comput Tomogr.
2013 Nov-Dec;7(6):338-53.
doi: 10.1016/j.jcct.2013.10.003.
Epub 2013 Nov 5.
2.Al-Mousily F,
Shifrin RY,
Fricker FJ et al.
Use of 320-detector computed tomographic angiography for infants and young children with congenital heartdisease.
Pediatr Cardiol.
2011 Apr;32(4):426-32.
doi: 10.1007/s00246-010-9873-8.
Epub 2011 Jan 6.
3.
Paul JF1,
Rohnean A,
Sigal-Cinqualbre...
