Dedicated CCTA Followed by High-Pitch Scanning versus TRO-CT for Contrast Media and Radiation Dose Reduction: A Retrospective Study

Kun Wang; Xiaodong Wang; Shaoqiang Zheng; Cheng Li; Liang Jin; Ming Li

doi:10.3390/diagnostics12112647

Dedicated CCTA Followed by High-Pitch Scanning versus TRO-CT for Contrast Media and Radiation Dose Reduction: A Retrospective Study

Diagnostics (Basel). 2022 Oct 31;12(11):2647. doi: 10.3390/diagnostics12112647.

Authors

Kun Wang¹, Xiaodong Wang², Shaoqiang Zheng³, Cheng Li¹, Liang Jin¹, Ming Li^{1

4}

Affiliations

¹ Radiology Department, Huadong Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China.
² Shanghai Changfeng Community Health Service Center of Putuo District, Shanghai 200062, China.
³ Department of Radiology, Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200065, China.
⁴ Institute of Functional and Molecular Medical Imaging, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China.

Abstract

We aimed to compare dedicated coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) followed by high-pitch scanning and triple-rule-out computed tomography angiography (TRO-CTA) in terms of radiation dose, contrast media (CM) use, and image quality. Patients with acute chest pain were retrospectively enrolled and assigned to group A (n = 55; scanned with dedicated CCTA followed by high-pitch scanning) or group B (n = 45; with TRO-CTA). Patient characteristics, radiation dose, CM use, and quantitative parameters (CT value, image noise, signal-to-noise ratio, contrast-to-noise ratio, and image quality score) of pulmonary arteries (PAs), thoracic aortae (TAs), and coronary arteries (CAs) were compared. The total effective dose was significantly lower in group A (6.25 ± 2.94 mSv) than B (8.93 ± 4.08 mSv; p < 0.001). CM volume was significantly lower in group A (75.7 ± 8.9 mL) than B (95.0 ± 0 mL; p < 0.001). PA and TA image quality were significantly better in group B, whereas that of CA was significantly better in group A. Qualitative image scores of PA and TA scans rated by radiologists were similar, whereas that of CA scans was significantly higher in group A than B (p < 0.001). Dedicated CCTA followed by high-pitch scanning demonstrated lower radiation doses and CM volume without debasing qualities of PA, TA, and CA scans than did TRO-CTA.

Keywords: contrast media; coronary CT angiography; high-pitch scanning; image quality; radiation dose.

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Science and Technology Planning Project of Shanghai Science and Technology Commission [grant number, 22Y11910700], National Natural Science Foundation of China [grant number 61976238], Shanghai “Rising Stars of Medical Talent” Youth Development Program “Outstanding Youth Medical Talents” (SHWJRS [2021]-99), Emerging Talent Program (XXRC2213) and Leading Talent Program (LJRC2202) of Huadong hospital, and Excellent Academic Leaders of Shanghai(2022XD042).