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The accuracy of 1- and 3-mm slices in coronary calcium scoring using multi-slice CT in vitro and in vivo

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Abstract

The accuracy of coronary calcium scoring using 16-row MSCT comparing 1- and 3-mm slices was assessed. A thorax phantom with calcium cylinder inserts was scanned applying a non-enhanced retrospectively ECG-gated examination protocol: collimation 12×0.75 mm; 120 kV; 133 mAseff. Thirty-eight patients were examined using the same scan protocol. Image reconstruction was performed with an effective slice thickness of 3 and 1 mm. The volume score, calcium mass and Agatston score were determined. Image noise was measured in both studies. The volume score and calcium mass varied less than the Agatston score. The overall measured calcium mass compared to the actual calcium mass revealed a relative difference of +2.0% for 1-mm slices and −1.2% for 3-mm slices. Due to increased image noise in thinner slices in the patient study (26.1 HU), overall calcium scoring with a scoring threshold of 130 HU was not feasible. Interlesion comparison showed significantly higher scoring results for thinner slices (all P<0.001). A similar accuracy comparing calcium scoring results of 1- and 3-mm slices was shown in the phantom study; therefore, the potentially necessary increase of the patient's dose in order to achieve assessable 1-mm slices with an acceptable image-to-noise-ratio appears not to be justified.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University Hospital (RWTH) Aachen, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52057, Aachen, Germany

    Georg Mühlenbruch, Joachim E. Wildberger, Marco Das, Christian Hohl, Dagmar Honnef, Christoph Thomas & Rolf W. Günther

  2. Siemens Medical Solutions, Computed Tomography, 91301, Forchheim, Germany

    Ernst Klotz & Matthias Niethammer

  3. Department of Cardiology, University Hospital (RWTH), Aachen, Germany

    Ralf Koos

  4. Applied Medical Engineering, Helmholtz Institute, RWTH-Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

    Andreas H. Mahnken

Authors
  1. Georg Mühlenbruch
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  2. Ernst Klotz
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  3. Joachim E. Wildberger
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  4. Ralf Koos
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  5. Marco Das
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  6. Matthias Niethammer
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  7. Christian Hohl
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  8. Dagmar Honnef
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  9. Christoph Thomas
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  10. Rolf W. Günther
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  11. Andreas H. Mahnken
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Georg Mühlenbruch.

Additional information

The study was supported by a “START” grant from the University Hospital of Aachen, Germany.

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Mühlenbruch, G., Klotz, E., Wildberger, J.E. et al. The accuracy of 1- and 3-mm slices in coronary calcium scoring using multi-slice CT in vitro and in vivo. Eur Radiol 17, 321–329 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-006-0332-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-006-0332-0

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