Effects of particle size slice thickness and reconstruction algorithm on coronary calcium quantitation using ultrafast computed tomography

摘要

Abstract: The recent emphasis on early diagnosis of coronary artery disease has stimulated research for a reliable and non-invasive screening method. Radiographically detectable coronary calcium has been shown to predict both pathologic and angiographic findings. Ultrafast computed tomography (UFCT), in quantifying coronary calcium, may become an accurate non-invasive method to evaluate the severity of coronary disease. The currently applied index of UFCT coronary calcium amount is the coronary calcium score of Agatston et al. This score has not been thoroughly evaluated as to its accuracy and dependence on scanning parameters. A potential drawback of the score is its dependence on predetermined CT number thresholds. In this investigation we used a chest phantom to determine the effects of particle size, slice thickness, and reconstruction algorithm on the coronary calcium score, and on the calcium mass estimated with a new method which is not dependent on thresholds. !12