CT coronary angiography: Comparing 64 to 320 row MDCT

Objectives To compare technical aspects of CT coronary angiography performed using a helical acquisition with 64 MDCT to a volumetric acquisition using 320 MDCT.

Methods To describe the parameters involved in image data acquisition, post processing and image data reconstruction during CT coronary angiography performed with 64 x 0.5mm detector rows, using retrospective ECG gating a helical acquisition with variable pitch 0.25 -14. This process is compared to CT coronary angiography performed with 320 x 0.5mm detector rows, using prospective ECG gating, a volumetric acquisition without table movement and therefore no pitch. The comparison includes technical aspects of image reconstruction, selecting optimal exposure windows, adjusting for cardiac arrhythmia and generating functional data.

Results CT coronary angiography performed on 64 and 320 MDCT is a robust technique; the volumetric acquisition has a significantly shorter acquisition time, therefore a reduced patient radiation dose, reduced patient motion artifacts and improved image quality. There is a significant reduction in the volume of data generated and in the amount of time taken to post process the data.

Conclusions 320 MDCT has significant advantages compared to 64 MDCT in performing CT coronary angiography.