In computed tomography angiography (CTA) image quality is fundamental influenced by contrast injection timing. As heart rate and cardiac output vary greatly among patients, the time interval between the start of contrast injection and the start of the CTA itself has to be individually adapted for each examination. Currently, bolus tracking is the preferred method for determining the optimal starting point for CTA data acquisition after contrast injection[1]. The bolus tracking technique uses repeated low dose single slice CT scans at a specific position, which...

In this retrospective study we included patients who underwent CCTA examinations on a third-generation dual-source computed tomography system, using the so-called step-and-shoot technique. 352 consecutive patients fulfilled these criteria (96 patients with bolus tracking in the left atrium and 256 patients with bolus tracking in the ascending aorta); (Fig. 1). Propensity score matching, as described by Baek et al.[2], was used to select pairs of patients with similar characteristics out of the initial pool of 352 patients. Matching criteria were sex, height, bodyweight and heart...

Qualitative analysis (Table 2): Out of 96 patients of group A (bolus tracking in the left atrium), the image quality was rated in 41 cases with a total score of 5 (42.7%), in 39 cases with a total score of 4 (40.6%), in 15 cases with a total score of 3 (15.6%) and in one case with a total score of 2 (1.1%). Out of 96 patients of group B (bolus tracking in the ascending aorta), the image quality was rated in 44 cases with...

Bolus tracking in the left atrium (Fig. 1 - A), as in triple-rule-out CTA, does not adversely affect depiction of the coronary arteries if compared to conventional bolus tracking in the ascending aorta (Fig. 1 - B). This result is a further argument for an extension of the indication for triple-rule-out CT angiography in place of conventional CCTA in patients with acute thoracic pain, because despite the additional depiction of the pulmonary arteries and the thoracic aorta, the depiction of the coronary arteries is not...

Heiner Nebelung, cand. med. Department of Radiology, Dresden University Hospital, Dresden, Germany [email protected] Ivan Platzek, MD Department of Radiology, Dresden University Hospital, Dresden, Germany [email protected] Thomas Brauer, MD Department of Radiology, Dresden University Hospital, Dresden, Germany [email protected] Uwe Speiser, MD Department of Cardiology, Dresden University Hospital, Dresden, Germany [email protected] Michael Laniado, MD Department of Radiology, Dresden University Hospital, Dresden, Germany [email protected] Ruth Strasser, MD Department of Cardiology, Dresden University Hospital, Dresden, Germany [email protected]

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