Effects of image quality of intravenous three-dimensional electron beam coronary angiography / 中国医学科学院学报

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To identify reasons for poor image quality and nonassessability of coronary artery segments, and compare results between early and late diastolic triggering on coronary electron beam angiography (EBA).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>One hundred patients referred for EBA were studied. Contrast-enhanced transaxial coronary images were acquired using electrocardiographic triggering and reconstructed three-dimensionally using volume rendering techniques. The image quality of coronary segments and image artifacts were analyzed statistically.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Volume rendering was failed in 7 patients (7%) due to cardiac and breathing motions. Image quality was the best with the left main (LM), and worst with the left circumflex (LCX) coronary artery (P < 0.001). The image quality decreased systematically from proximal to distal within each coronary artery (P < 0.001). Forty percent R-R interval triggering on electrocardiography was better than 80% for image quality. The nonassessable segments occurred in 3% of LM, 2%, 8%, and 5% of proximal, 24%, 22%, and 12% of mid, 64%, 45%, and 20% of distal segments of the left anterior descending (LAD), LCX, and right coronary artery (RCA), respectively (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The major limitations of coronary EBA are in suboptimal spatial resolution and image artifacts. The image quality could be improved by using optimal electrocardiographic triggering.</p>