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Patterns of Opacification in Coronary CT Angiography: Contrast Differences and Gradients

  • Cardiac Computed Tomography (S Achenbach and T Villines, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Iodinated contrast delivery is a key component of coronary computed tomography (CT) angiography. However, the purpose of contrast delivery has been limited to morphology alone. Specifically, iodine opacification of the coronary lumen has been used to separate it from the coronary artery wall and lesions within the coronary arteries. Because contrast is delivered to the coronary arteries according to the coronary blood flow, there is flow information encoded within the contrast opacification which, depending on CT hardware and acquisition protocol, can be recognized in coronary CT angiography. In addition, metrics related to flow have been identified and studied. They include coronary contrast opacification differences and contrast opacification gradients.

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Acknowledgments

Dimitrios Mitsouras is supported by NIBIB 1-K01-EB015868 (Mentor Frank J. Rybicki).

Compliance with Ethics Guidelines

ᅟ

Conflict of Interest

Frank J. Rybicki receives research support from Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation. Yu-Hsiang Juan, Sachin S. Saboo, Elizabeth George, Rani Sewatkar, and Dimitrios Mitsouras declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Applied Imaging Science Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA, 02115, USA

    Frank J. Rybicki, Yu-Hsiang Juan, Sachin S. Saboo, Elizabeth George, Rani Sewatkar & Dimitrios Mitsouras

  2. Department of Medical Imaging and Intervention, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou and Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan

    Yu-Hsiang Juan

Authors
  1. Frank J. Rybicki
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  2. Yu-Hsiang Juan
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  6. Dimitrios Mitsouras
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Correspondence to Frank J. Rybicki.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Cardiac Computed Tomography

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Rybicki, F.J., Juan, YH., Saboo, S.S. et al. Patterns of Opacification in Coronary CT Angiography: Contrast Differences and Gradients. Curr Cardiovasc Imaging Rep 7, 9291 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12410-014-9291-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12410-014-9291-z

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