Prospective Electrocardiographic Gating Research Articles

Prognostic Performance of Prospective versus Retrospective Electrocardiographic Gating in Coronary Computed Tomographic Angiography

Coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) with prospective electrocardiographic gating reduces radiation exposure, but its prognostic power for predicting cardiovascular risk in patients with suspected CAD has not been fully validated. To determine whether prospective gating performs as well as retrospective gating in this population, we compared these scan modes in patients undergoing 64-slice CCTA. From January 2009 through September 2011, 1,407 patients underwent CCTA; of these, 915 (mean age, 57.8 ± 13.5 yr; 54% male) had suspected coronary artery disease at the time of CCTA and were included in the study. Prospective gating was used in 195 (21%) and retrospective gating in 720 (79%). The mean follow-up duration was 2.4 ± 0.9 years. Overall, 390 patients (42.6%) had normal results on CCTA, 382 (41.7%) had nonobstructive coronary artery disease, and 143 (15.6%) had obstructive disease. Major adverse cardiac events occurred in 32 patients (3.5%): 11 cardiac deaths, 15 late revascularizations, and 6 nonfatal myocardial infarctions. Total event occurrences were similar in both groups (retrospective, 3.8%; prospective, 2.6%; P=0.42), as were the occurrences of each type of event. On adjusted multivariate analysis, nonobstructive (P=0.015) and obstructive (P <0.001) coronary artery disease were independently associated with major adverse cardiac events. Scan mode was not a predictor of outcome. The mean effective radiation dose was 4 ± 2 mSv for prospective compared with 12 ± 4 mSv for retrospective gating (P <0.01). The prognostic value of CCTA with prospective electrocardiographic gating compares favorably with that of retrospective gating, and it involves significantly less radiation exposure.

Diagnostic accuracy of 256-row multidetector CT coronary angiography with prospective ECG-gating combined with fourth-generation iterative reconstruction algorithm in the assessment of coronary artery bypass: evaluation of dose reduction and image quality.

Effective radiation dose in coronary CT angiography (CTCA) for coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) evaluation is remarkably high because of long scan lengths. Prospective electrocardiographic gating with iterative reconstruction can reduce effective radiation dose. To evaluate the diagnostic performance of low-kV CT angiography protocol with prospective ecg-gating technique and iterative reconstruction (IR) algorithm in follow-up of CABG patients compared with standard retrospective protocol. Seventy-four non-obese patients with known coronary disease treated with artery bypass grafting were prospectively enrolled. All the patients underwent 256 MDCT (Brilliance iCT, Philips) CTCA using low-dose protocol (100kV; 800 mAs; rotation time: 0.275s) combined with prospective ECG-triggering acquisition and fourth-generation IR technique (iDose4; Philips); all the lengths of the bypass graft were included in the evaluation. A control group of 42 similar patients was evaluated with a standard retrospective ECG-gated CTCA (100kV; 800 mAs).On both CT examinations, ROIs were placed to calculate standard deviation of pixel values and intra-vessel density. Diagnostic quality was also evaluated using a 4-point quality scale. Despite the statistically significant reduction of radiation dose evaluated with DLP (study group mean DLP: 274mGycm; control group mean DLP: 1224mGycm; P value<0.001). No statistical differences were found between PGA group and RGH group regarding intra-vessel density absolute values and SNR. Qualitative analysis, evaluated by two radiologists in "double blind", did not reveal any significant difference in diagnostic quality of the two groups. The development of high-speed MDCT scans combined with modern IR allows an accurate evaluation of CABG with prospective ECG-gating protocols in a single breath hold, obtaining a significant reduction in radiation dose.

Abstract 175: Dual source 128-slice computed tomography coronary angiography: A low radiation paradigm in evaluation of Kawasaki disease at Chandigarh, North India

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of low dose computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) on a dual source scanner in children on follow up for Kawasaki disease (KD). Methods: A prospective study comprising 20 consecutive children with KD was conducted from November 2013 to August 2014 on 128-dual source second generation Siemens Definition Flash with either prospective or retrospective electrocardiographic (ECG) gating. A radiologist blinded to the clinical profile and echocardiography (ECHO)/ stress thallium data evaluated each scan. Peak Kilovolts (KVp), milliampere (mA) and radiation dose (dose length product-mGycm and effective dose milliSieverts-mSv) were recorded. Another radiologist correlated CTCA data with clinical/ other imaging data. Results: Demographic/ clinical data and scan parameters are given in Table. Mean effective dose was 1.25 mSv (range 0.22 to 2.74), with prospective ECG gating in 8 patients, it was even lower (0.22 to 0.91 mSv). Six of the 20 patients showed abnormalities including ectasia (n=3), aneurysm (n=2) and stenosis (n=3). More than one abnormality was seen in 2 patients. Four children with normal ECHO had abnormalities detected on CTCA. Stress thallium scintiscan had been performed in 16 patients with mild/ moderate reversible perfusion defects detected in 14. Six of 14 patients with moderate perfusion abnormalities had an abnormal CTCA. Conclusion: In our experience, dual source CTCA is a feasible low radiation dose modality in evaluation in patients with KD. Future impact: Dual source CTCA has potential to be standard of care for evaluation of coronary artery abnormalities in KD.

A Quality Improvement Project for Reducing Cardiac Computed Tomography Radiation Dose in a Community-Based, Multihospital Setting

Radiation associated with computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) is a persistent concern. Strategies for reducing radiation exposure have been described, primarily in academic settings. We developed a standard protocol for CTCA acquisition focused on radiation reduction strategies in a community-based, multihospital setting and hypothesized that the protocol would be effective at reducing radiation in this setting. The protocol included the use of body mass index based tube voltage adjustment and routine use of prospective electrocardiographic gating with either dose modulation or step-and-shoot acquisition. Data on radiation exposure were collected retrospectively and compared by nonparametric testing. Some hospitals failed to routinely record radiation exposure data; only 2 facilities had data available from both before and after the intervention for direct comparison. Data were acquired from 124 subjects, 41 from the standard of care group and 83 scanned under the new protocol. In hospital A, radiation was significantly reduced by 61% from 20.5 ± 4.6 millisieverts (mSv) to 7.9 ± 4.8 mSv (P < 0.001). Within the new protocol group for hospital A, radiation was lower with step-and-shoot (4.0 ± 1.5 mSv) as compared to dose modulation (10.2 ± 4.2 mSv, P < 0.001). In hospital B, which already employed step-and-shoot acquisition, radiation dose was reduced 16% from 9.3 ± 3.0 mSv to 7.9 ± 2.2 mSv (P < 0.017) by applying body mass index-based tube voltage adjustment alone. In conclusion, a minimal investment in institutional resources can result in a reduction in radiation exposure from CTCA, even in a community-based, multihospital setting. Some facilities do not routinely record radiation exposure data.

Dual-Enhancement Cardiac Computed Tomography for Assessing Left Atrial Thrombus and Pulmonary Veins Before Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation

Noninvasive imaging that provides anatomic information while excluding intracardiac thrombus would be of significant clinical value for patients referred for catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF). This study assessed the diagnostic performance of a dual-enhancement single-phase cardiac computed tomography (CT) protocol for thrombus and circulatory stasis detection in AF patients before catheter ablation. We studied 101 consecutive symptomatic AF patients (71 men and 30 women; mean age, 61.8 years) who were scheduled to have catheter ablation. All patients had undergone pre-AF ablation CT imaging and transesophageal echocardiography on the same day. CT was performed with prospective electrocardiographic gating, and scanning began 180 seconds after the test bolus. Mean left atrial appendage (LAA)/ascending aorta Hounsfield unit (HU) ratios were measured on CT images. Among the 101 patients, 9 thrombi and 18 spontaneous echo contrasts were detected by transesophageal echocardiography. The overall sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of CT for the detection of thrombi in the LAA were 89%, 100%, 100%, and 99%, respectively. The mean LAA/ascending aorta HU ratios were significantly different between thrombus and circulatory stasis (0.17 vs 0.33, p= 0.002). Dual-enhancement single-scan cardiac CT is a sensitive modality for detecting and differentiating LAA thrombus and circulatory stasis.

The reproducibility of coronary calcium scoring on multiple software platforms

Introduction Coronary Artery Calcium (CAC) Scoring has been validated as an accurate tool to risk stratify patients without known coronary artery disease. The aim of this analysis is to evaluate the reproducibility of CAC calculated on different commercial softwares. Methods We included 159 patients who underwent CAC scoring with use of 64- slice multidetector computed tomography (CT) with prospective electrocardiographic gating for clinical reasons. The data sets were evaluated on two different commercially available softwares (4DM from INVIA, Ann Arbor, MI (software A) and Smart score from General Electric, Milwaukee, WI (software B)) by two blinded independent readers using the method of Agatston with a threshold of 130 Hounsfield units. Comparative analysis of CAC scores between the different software was performed by using Spearman rank correlation and Bland Altman analysis. Results Each software produced different absolute numeric results for Agatston score. CAC was detected on 107 scan on both softwares. A total of 59 scans (37%) had the same reading of which 50 patients are without detected calcium. In contrast, CAC reading were within 10 units in 86 scans (52%) There was excellent statistical correlation between the two softwares (r = 0.948, p 400), 132 (87%) of the scans were in the same group by both softwares. Conclusion Our analysis shows that there is a close correlation between the different software calculation of CAC, although the different CAC software different absolute CAC scores. The two software concordantly classified 87% of the study population prognostically.

Submillisievert Median Radiation Dose for Coronary Angiography with a Second-Generation 320–Detector Row CT Scanner in 107 Consecutive Patients

To (a) use a new second-generation wide-volume 320-detector row computed tomographic (CT) scanner to explore optimization of radiation exposure in coronary CT angiography in an unselected and consecutive cohort of patients referred for clinical purposes and (b) compare estimated radiation exposure and image quality with that from a cohort of similar patients who underwent imaging with a previous first-generation CT system. The study was approved by the institutional review board, and all subjects provided written consent. Coronary CT angiography was performed in 107 consecutive patients with a new second-generation 320-detector row unit. Estimated radiation exposure and image quality were compared with those from 100 consecutive patients who underwent imaging with a previous first-generation scanner. Effective radiation dose was estimated by multiplying the dose-length product by an effective dose conversion factor of 0.014 mSv/mGy ⋅ cm and reported with size-specific dose estimates (SSDEs). Image quality was evaluated by two independent readers. The mean age of the 107 patients was 55.4 years ± 12.0 (standard deviation); 57 patients (53.3%) were men. The median body mass index was 27.3 kg/m(2) (range, 18.1-47.2 kg/m(2)); however, 71 patients (66.4%) were overweight, obese, or morbidly obese. A tube potential of 100 kV was used in 97 patients (90.6%), single-volume acquisition was used in 104 (97.2%), and prospective electrocardiographic gating was used in 106 (99.1%). The mean heart rate was 57.1 beats per minute ± 11.2 (range, 34-96 beats per minute), which enabled single-heartbeat scans in 100 patients (93.4%). The median radiation dose was 0.93 mSv (interquartile range [IQR], 0.58-1.74 mSv) with the second-generation unit and 2.67 mSv (IQR, 1.68-4.00 mSv) with the first-generation unit (P < .0001). The median SSDE was 6.0 mGy (IQR, 4.1-10.0 mGy) with the second-generation unit and 13.2 mGy (IQR, 10.2-18.6 mGy) with the first-generation unit (P < .0001). Overall, the radiation dose was less than 0.5 mSv for 23 of the 107 CT angiography examinations (21.5%), less than 1 mSv for 58 (54.2%), and less than 4 mSv for 103 (96.3%). All studies were of diagnostic quality, with most having excellent image quality. Three of four image quality indexes were significantly better with the second-generation unit compared with the first-generation unit. The combination of a gantry rotation time of 275 msec, wide volume coverage, iterative reconstruction, automated exposure control, and larger x-ray power generator of the second-generation CT scanner provides excellent image quality over a wide range of body sizes and heart rates at low radiation doses. http://radiology.rsna.org/lookup/suppl/doi:10.1148/radiol.13122621/-/DC1.

Dual-Enhanced Cardiac CT for Detection of Left Atrial Appendage Thrombus in Patients With Stroke

A noninvasive method with high reliability and accuracy comparable to transesophageal echocardiography for identification of left atrial appendage thrombus would be of significant clinical value. The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic performance of a dual-enhanced cardiac CT protocol for detection of left atrial appendage thrombi and for differentiation between thrombus and circulatory stasis in patients with stroke. We studied 83 consecutive patients with stroke (56 men and 27 women; mean age, 62.6 years) who had high risk factors for thrombus formation and had undergone both dual-source CT and transesophageal echocardiography within a 3-day period. CT was performed with prospective electrocardiographic gating, and scanning began 180 seconds after the test bolus. Among the 83 patients, a total of 13 thrombi combined with spontaneous echo contrast and 14 spontaneous echo contrasts were detected by transesophageal echocardiography. All 13 thrombi combined with spontaneous echo contrast were correctly diagnosed on CT. Using transesophageal echocardiography as the reference standard, the overall sensitivity and specificity of CT for the detection of thrombi and circulatory stasis in the left atrial appendage were 96% (95% CI, 78% to 99%), and 100% (95% CI, 92% to 100%), respectively. On CT, the mean left atrial appendage/ascending aorta Hounsfield unit ratios were significantly different between thrombus and circulatory stasis (0.15 Hounsfield unit versus 0.27 Hounsfield unit, P=0.001). The mean effective radiation dose was 3.11 mSv. Dual-enhanced cardiac CT with prospective electrocardiographic gating is a noninvasive and sensitive modality for detecting left atrial appendage thrombus with an acceptable radiation dose.

Study of optimal exposure windows using 320-Detector rows dynamic volume CT

Study of optimal exposure windows using 320-Detector rows dynamic volume CT Gang Sun1, Min Li1, Li Li1, Guo-ying Li1, Zhi-wei Jing21Departments of Medical Imaging, 2Medical Statistics, Jinan Military General Hospital, Shandong Province, ChinaAbstract: The purpose of this study was to determine the optimal electrocardiographic (ECG) pulsing windows and evaluate the effect on reduced dose and accuracy using 320-detector rows dynamic volume computed tomography (DVCT). A total of 170 patients were prospectively studied. The optimal reconstruction windows were analyzed in 76 patients scanned using retrospective ECG gating. Forty-seven patients were scanned by the predicted triggering windows. The optimal positions of exposure intervals according to different heart rates were evaluated. Optimal image quality, radiation dose, and diagnostic accuracy were then investigated by applying optimal triggering windows. The optimal ECG pulsing windows were determined as follows: when heart rate was &lt;70 beats per minute, the exposure windows should be preset at 60%&ndash;80%; for a heart rate 70&ndash;90 beats per minute at 70%&ndash;90%; and for a heart rate &ge;90 beats per minute at 30%&ndash;50%. The radiation dose for patients scanned with prospective ECG gating was significantly lower (5.9 versus 12.9 mSv, P &lt; 0.001). However, because two or three heart beats were needed when heart rate was &gt;70 beats per minute, the radiation dose increased with increasing heart rate for both retrospective and prospective ECG gating (r = 0.64, P &lt; 0.001 and r = 0.59, P &lt; 0.001, respectively). On the basis of a per segment analysis, overall sensitivity was 98.0% (49/50), specificity was 99.2% (602/607), the positive predictive value was 90.7% (49/54), and the negative predictive value was 99.8% (602/603). In conclusion, DVCT has the potential to provide high image quality across a wide range of heart rates using an optimized ECG pulsing window. However, it is recommended to control heart rate below 70 beats per minute, if possible, to decrease the radiation dose.Keywords: dynamic volume computed tomography, coronary angiography, optimal exposure window, heart rate, radiation dose

Dual-source CT coronary angiography: prospective versus retrospective acquisition technique

The aim of our work was to compare image quality and radiation dose in a group of patients who underwent cardiac dual-source computed tomography (DSCT) with prospective electrocardiographic (ECG) gating with those of a control group studied with retrospective gating. Sixty patients were randomly assigned to two groups of 30 individuals each. Patients with heart rates >70 bpm and body mass index (BMI) >30 kg/m(2) were excluded. Group A was examined with prospective ECG gating and group B with retrospective gating. The dose-length product (DLP) was recorded to calculate the radiation dose, whereas the effective dose was normalised to a standard 12-cm scan of the heart. Applying the best reconstruction interval, 98.6% of segments in the prospective group and 99.3% in the retrospective group were diagnostic. No significant difference (p>0.05) in image quality was observed between groups. Mean normalised radiation dose was 4.91 ± 0.4 mSv in the prospective-gating group and 14.62 mSv ± 4.36 in the retrospective-gating group (p<0.01). Coronary CT with prospective ECG gating, a standard feature on new scanners, allows for a significant reduction in radiation dose without causing any significant decrease in image quality or in the number of segments assessed. The prospective technique is thus recommended for patients with heart rates £70 bpm and BMI £30 kg/m(2).

Post-CABG Coronary CT Angiography: Radiation Dose and Graft Image Quality in Retrospective Versus Prospective ECG Gating

The aim of this study was to compare effective radiation doses between prospective and retrospective electrocardiographic gating during coronary computed tomographic angiography for coronary artery bypass grafting evaluation. Fifty consecutive coronary computed tomographic angiographic exams for coronary artery bypass grafting evaluation, 25 prospectively gated and 25 retrospectively gated, were reviewed from January 8, 2008, to June 16, 2009. Body mass index and image quality were also compared between the two groups. To minimize the potential bias introduced by differences in torso length, the effective radiation dose from each exam was measured and normalized to a 24-cm z-axis scan length for all patients. Pooled t tests were used to compare the prospectively and retrospectively gated groups. The average effective doses delivered in the retrospective and prospective groups were 40.8 mSv (standard error [SE], 1.8 mSv) and 8.6 mSv (SE, 0.7 mSv), respectively. When normalized to the average z-axis scan length of 24 cm, the effective dose in the retrospective group, 38.4 mSv (SE, 1.3 mSv), was still >4 times greater than that in the prospective group, 9.1 mSv (SE, 0.7 mSv) (P < .0001). There was no significant difference in body mass index or image quality between the groups. Effective radiation dose in coronary computed tomographic angiography for coronary artery bypass grafting evaluation is very high because of long scan lengths. Prospective electrocardiographic gating significantly reduces effective radiation dose by an average of 76% compared to retrospectively gated scans (9.1 vs 38.4 mSv). In the coronary artery bypass grafting population, prospective electrocardiographic gating should be used whenever ventricular functional assessment is not required.

Prospective versus Retrospective ECG Gating for 64-Detector CT of the Coronary Arteries: Comparison of Image Quality and Patient Radiation Dose

To compare image quality and patient radiation dose in a group of patients who underwent 64-detector computed tomography (CT) coronary angiography performed with prospective electrocardiographic (ECG) gating with image quality and radiation dose in a group of patients matched for clinical features who underwent 64-detector CT coronary angiography performed with retrospective ECG gating. Institutional review board approval was obtained for this HIPAA-compliant study, and the informed consent requirement was waived due to the retrospective study design. Two independent reviewers separately scored coronary artery segment image quality and overall image quality for 100 cardiac CT studies (50 in each group). Interobserver variability was calculated. Patient radiation dose for the actual examination z-axis length was recorded, and a normalized dose was calculated for a 12-cm z-axis length of a typical heart. The two groups matched well for clinical characteristics and CT parameters. There was good agreement for coronary artery segment image quality scores between the independent reviewers (kappa = 0.72). Of the 1253 coronary artery segments scored, the number of coronary artery segments that could not be evaluated in each group was similar (1.1% [seven of 614] in the prospective group vs 1.5% [10 of 647] in the retrospective group, P = .53). Image quality scores were not significantly different when matched for chest cross-sectional area (P > .05). Mean patient radiation dose was 77% lower for prospective gating (4.2 mSv) than for retrospective gating (18.1 mSv) (P < .01). Use of 64-detector CT coronary angiography performed with prospective ECG gating has similar subjective image quality scores but 77% lower patient radiation dose when compared with use of retrospective ECG gating.

Towards a biomechanics-based technique for assessing myocardial contractility: an inverse problem approach

This work presents the initial development and implementation of a novel 3D biomechanics-based approach to measure the mechanical activity of myocardial tissue, as a potential non-invasive tool to assess myocardial function. This technique quantifies the myocardial contraction forces developed within the ventricular myofibers in response to electro-physiological stimuli. We provide a 3D finite element formulation of a contraction force reconstruction algorithm, along with its implementation using magnetic resonance (MR) data. Our algorithm is based on an inverse problem solution governed by the fundamental continuum mechanics principle of conservation of linear momentum, under a first-order approximation of elastic and isotropic material conditions. We implemented our technique using a subject-specific ventricle model obtained by extracting the left ventricular anatomical features from a set of high-resolution cardiac MR images acquired throughout the cardiac cycle using prospective electrocardiographic gating. Cardiac motion information was extracted by non-rigid registration of the mid-diastole reference image to the remaining images of a 4D dataset. Using our technique, we reconstructed dynamic maps that show the contraction force distribution superimposed onto the deformed ventricle model at each acquired frame in the cardiac cycle. Our next objective will consist of validating this technique by showing the correlation between the presence of low contraction force patterns and poor myocardial functionality.