Application of prospective electrocardiogram-gated dual-source CT in patients with acute chest pain

Abstract

Objective To evaluate the application of prospective ECG-gated dual source CT (DSCT) in patients with acute chest pain, and compare it's image quality and radiation dose with those of retrospective ECG-gated spiral scan. Methods Thirty consecutive patients (Group A, average HR ≥85 bpm) with acute chest pain were scanned with prospective ECG-gated scan and another 30 consecutive patients (Group B, average HR ≥85 bpm)were analyzed by retrospective ECG-gated scan. Tube voltage and tube current were adapted by the BMI of patients. MPR, MIP, CPR and VR were used to display pulmonary arteries (PA), thoracic aorta and coronary arteries (CA). Image quality as well as radiation dose were assessed in 2 groups. Qualitative image quality was compared with chi-square test between the two groups,while quantitative image quality [the image noise ( IN ), signal-to-noise ratio ( SNR ) and contrast-to-noise ratio(CNR)] and radiation dose were evaluated with x2 test and Student's t test. Results The proportion of valid coronary segments for diagnosis were 379/385 ( 98. 44% ) and 390/396 ( 98.48% ) respectively in Group A and Group B with no significant difference(x2 =0. 002,P =0. 961 ). The IN [( 16. 23 ±5.75)vs ( 16. 31 ±3. 32) HU] ,SNR (26. 85 ±9. 94 vs 24. 78 ±9. 91 ) and CNR (20. 99 ±9. 31 vs 18. 65 ±8. 72)showed no significant differences between 2 groups ( t = 0. 069,0. 908 and 1. 224, P ＞ 0. 05, respectively).The ED was on average ( 8. 37 ± 2. 69 ) mSv in Group A, whereas on average ( 20. 05 ± 5.52 ) mSv in Group B. There was a statistical difference between 2 groups ( t = 9. 401, P = 0. 000). Conclusion Low dose prospective ECG-gated DSCT angiography can show similar image quality as retrospective ECG-gated spiral scan with radiation dose. Key words: Tomography, X-ray computed; Chest pain; Radiation dosage