Diagn Interv Radiol DOI 10.5152/dir.2014.13451 © Turkish Society of Radiology 2014 CARDIOVASCULAR IMAGING ORIGINAL ARTICLE Optimal reconstruction interval in dual source CT coronary

We aimed to evaluate the visibility of coronary arteries and bypass-grafts in patients who underwent dual source computed tomography (DSCT) angiography without heart rate (HR) control and to determine optimal intervals for image reconstruction. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 285 consecutive cases who underwent coronary (n=255) and bypass-graft (n=30) DSCT angiography at our institution were identified retrospectively. Patients with atrial fibrillation were excluded. Ten datasets in 10 % increments were reconstructed in all patients. On each dataset, the visibility of coronary arteries was evaluated using the 15-segment American Heart Association classification by two radiologists in consensus. RESULTS Mean HR was 76±16.3 bpm, (range, 46–127 bpm). All coronary segments could be visualized in 277 patients (97.19%). On a segment-basis, 4265 of 4275 (99.77%) coronary artery segments were visible. All segments of 56 bypass-grafts in 30 patients were visible (100%). Total mean segment visibility scores of all coronary arteries were highest at 70%, 40 % and 30 % intervals for all HRs. The optimal reconstruction intervals to visualize the segments of all three coronary arteries in descending order were 70%, 60%, 80%, and 30 % intervals in patients with a mean HR <70 bpm; 40%, 70%, and 30% intervals in patients with a mean HR 70–100 bpm; and 40%, 50%, and 30 % in patients with a mean HR>100 bpm. CONCLUSION Without beta-blocker administration, DSCT coronary angiography offers excellent visibility of vascular segments using both end-systolic and mid-late diastolic reconstructions at HRs up to 100 bpm, and only end-systolic reconstructions at HRs over 100 bpm