Evaluation of Coronary Artery Stenoses Using Electron-Beam CT and Multiplanar Reformation

PURPOSE: We assessed the diagnostic value of electron-beam CT with multiplanar reformation for coronary artery stenoses. METHOD: Thirty-seven patients who underwent conventional coronary angiography were evaluated with ECG-triggered thin section electron-beam CT with intravenous contrast enhancement. Multiplanar reformation of a stack of the images was performed to visualize coronary arteries. Two observers blind to the results of conventional coronary angiography independently evaluated the reformatted images. RESULTS: The sensitivity and specificity for the detection of significant lesions were 100 and 100% in the left main coronary artery, 83 and 84% in the left anterior descending artery, 67 and 96% in left circumflex artery, 63 and 79% in the right coronary artery, and 74 and 94% for total results, respectively. All false-positive results in the left anterior descending artery were caused by wall calcification, and in the right coronary artery, 83% of the false-positive results were caused by small slice gaps in noncalcified segments. CONCLUSION: Electron-beam CT was feasible for the detection of coronary artery stenoses. For interpretation of reformatted images, calcification and slice gaps should be taken into consideration.