The value of computed tomography scanning for the detection of coronary artery disease in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) have a higher prevalence of coronary artery disease and this could have an impact on their outcomes. We investigated the predictive ability of coronary artery calcification, assessed by routine CT, which may predict the presence of coronary artery disease. METHODS: The study cohort consisted of patients with IPF and with left heart catheterization data plus CT scans from July 2003 to July 2008. Grades of coronary calcification on CT were compared with left heart catheterization determination of coronary artery disease. RESULTS: There were 57 patients in whom left heart catheterization review demonstrated significant coronary artery disease in 28.1% (16/57), mild disease in 40.3% (23/57) and none in 31.6% (18/57). The median time interval between the catheterization and the reviewed CT scan was 39 days. The sensitivity of moderate to severe calcification for significant coronary artery disease was 81%, while the specificity was 85%, with an associated odds ratio of 25.2 (4.64-166, P < 0.005). There was excellent agreement among three radiologists in the grading of coronary calcification. CONCLUSIONS: Coronary calcification, as assessed by routine CT of the chest, has very good performance characteristics in predicting underlying significant coronary artery disease in patients with IPF. The routine availability of this study enables the ready screening for coronary artery disease in IPF patients.

Prospectively gated transverse coronary CT angiography versus retrospectively gated helical technique: improved image quality and reduced radiation dose.

PURPOSE: To retrospectively compare image quality, radiation dose, and blood vessel assessability for coronary artery computed tomographic (CT) angiograms obtained with a prospectively gated transverse (PGT) CT technique and a retrospectively gated helical (RGH) CT technique. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This HIPAA-compliant study received a waiver for approval from the institutional review board, including one for informed consent. Coronary CT angiograms obtained with 64-detector row CT were retrospectively evaluated in 203 clinical patients. A routine RGH technique was evaluated in 82 consecutive patients (44 males, 38 females; mean age, 55.6 years). The PGT technique was then evaluated in 121 additional patients (71 males, 50 females; mean age, 56.7 years). All images were evaluated for image quality, estimated radiation dose, and coronary artery segment assessability. Differences in image quality score were evaluated by using a proportional odds logistic regression model, with main effects for three readers, two techniques, and four arteries. RESULTS: The mean effective dose for the group with the PGT technique was 2.8 mSv; this represents an 83% reduction as compared with that for the group with the RGH technique (mean, 18.4 mSv; P < .001). The image quality score for each of the arteries, as well as the overall combined score, was significantly greater for images obtained with PGT technique than for images obtained with RGH technique. The combined mean image quality score was 4.791 for images obtained with PGT technique versus 4.514 for images obtained with RGH technique (proportional odds model odds ratio, 2.8; 95% confidence interval: 1.7, 4.8). The percentage of assessable coronary artery segments was 98.6% (1196 of 1213) for images obtained with PGT technique versus 97.9% (1741 of 1778) for images obtained with RGH technique (P = .83). CONCLUSION: PGT coronary CT angiography offers improved image quality and substantially reduced effective radiation dose compared with traditional RGH coronary CT angiography.

Pulmonary embolism in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis transplant recipients.

The objectives of the study were the assessment of the incidence of pulmonary embolism (PE) in lung transplant recipients. We performed a retrospective review of the medical records in a tertiary center lung transplant program. A total of 72 lung transplants were performed. There were seven symptomatic PE events diagnosed among six patients (group 1). All PE events were in the subgroup of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) [6 of 23 patients (27%) vs 0 among all other patients (0%); p < 0.001]. All patients were out of the hospital, not receiving oxygen therapy, and were ambulatory at the time of the event. The median time to occurrence of the PE was 175 days posttransplant (range, 26 to 541 days). All patients who developed PEs were men. The group of IPF patients with no PEs was evenly split between genders (group 2; p < 0.009). PE patients required a longer posttransplant hospitalization (mean [+/- SD], 18.5 +/- 3.9 vs 13.5 +/- 4 days, respectively; p < 0.018). Aside from this, there was no apparent difference in patient functional status between the two groups. PEs appear to be relatively common in IPF lung transplant recipients. This should be considered in the differential diagnosis of any such patient who presents with dyspnea or hypoxia posttransplant. Patients do not appear to have been predisposed to their embolic events through lack of activity or prolonged hospital stays.

Spiral CT following the Whipple procedure: distinguishing normal postoperative findings from complications.

Following a Whipple procedure for a patient with pancreatic cancer, postoperative imaging with CT is essential to exclude complications and to identify recurrence. Accurate interpretation of these examinations requires knowledge of the type of surgery performed and the normal appearance of the abdomen on CT following this complex surgery. The purpose of this pictorial essay is to illustrate the normal appearance of the bowel following a Whipple procedure as well as some of the complications.