Keywords:
Ischaemia / Infarction, Contrast agent-intravenous, MR-Diffusion/Perfusion, CT-Angiography, CT, Cardiac
Authors:
P. Palumbo, E. cannizzaro, L. Panebianco, F. Bruno, R. Masi, E. Di Cesare, C. Masciocchi; L'Aquila/IT
Purpose
Coronary CT Angiography is an accurate and feasible diagnostic tool to identify and to assess Coronary Artery Disease,
with a sensitivity about 99%1.
As other CT exam,
also Coronary CT Angiography is based on contrast administration which permits an optimal study of coronary lumen and coronary wall.
Coronary opacification depends on contrast geometry,
time of acquisition and,
overall,
coronary flow2. On this principle,
some studies have demonstrated how Corrected Coronary Opacification (CCO) changes across coronary stenoses are predictive of abnormal resting coronary blood flow.
In fact,
Increased CCO difference across coronary stenoses is associated with myocardial ischemia; in particular,
a CCO difference value >0.184 is considered abnormal2.
The aim of our study is to demonstrate how CCO can help to assess also calcified plaques not correctly evaluated by standardized methods of cardiac-CT analysis,
and how this value are highly related with hemodinamic significance of detected stenoses compared to stress myocardial perfusion imaging by Cardiac Magnetic Resonance (CMR).