PMID- 18007157
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20080225
LR  - 20161124
IS  - 0020-9996 (Print)
IS  - 0020-9996 (Linking)
VI  - 42
IP  - 12
DP  - 2007 Dec
TI  - The influence of heart rate, slice thickness, and calcification density on 
      calcium scores using 64-slice multidetector computed tomography: a systematic 
      phantom study.
PG  - 848-55
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of heart 
      rate, slice thickness, and calcification density on absolute value and 
      variability of calcium score using 64-slice multidetector computed tomography 
      (MDCT). METHODS AND MATERIALS: Three artificial arteries containing each 3 
      lesions with varying density were scanned using a moving cardiac phantom at rest 
      and at 50 to 110 beats per minute (bpm) at 10-bpm intervals on a 64-slice MDCT. 
      Images were reconstructed at slice thicknesses (increment) of 0.6 (0.4), 0.75 
      (0.5), 1.5 (1.5), and 3.0 (3.0) mm. The amount of calcium was expressed as an 
      Agatston score, volume score, and equivalent mass. RESULTS: Absolute coronary 
      artery calcium (CAC) scores decreased [average -37% for low density calcification 
      (LDC)] or increased [average +32% for high density calcification (HDC)] at heart 
      rates over 60 bpm depending on slice thickness and scoring method. Thinner slice 
      thicknesses yielded higher CAC scores. Variability of the CAC scores increased 
      with increasing heart rates especially for low density calcifications (8% at rest 
      vs. 50% at 110 bpm). Variability also increased for thicker slices (average 6% 
      for 0.6 mm vs. 18% for 3.0 mm). Variability was lower for HDC compared with LDC 
      (approximately 5% for HDC vs. 27% for LDC at 70 bpm, averaged over all methods 
      and slice thicknesses). CONCLUSION: CAC-scoring is strongly influenced by cardiac 
      motion, calcification density, and slice thickness. CAC scores increase for high 
      density calcifications and decrease for low density calcifications at increasing 
      heart rates. Heart rate should be reduced on 64-slice MDCT to obtain a lower 
      degree of variability of CAC-scoring, preferably below 70 bpm. A thinner slice 
      thickness further enhances the reproducibility.
FAU - Groen, Jaap M
AU  - Groen JM
AD  - Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of 
      Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands. j.m.groen@rad.umcg.nl
FAU - Greuter, Marcel J
AU  - Greuter MJ
FAU - Schmidt, Bernhard
AU  - Schmidt B
FAU - Suess, Christoph
AU  - Suess C
FAU - Vliegenthart, Rozemarijn
AU  - Vliegenthart R
FAU - Oudkerk, Matthijs
AU  - Oudkerk M
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PL  - United States
TA  - Invest Radiol
JT  - Investigative radiology
JID - 0045377
RN  - SY7Q814VUP (Calcium)
SB  - IM
MH  - Calcinosis/*diagnostic imaging
MH  - Calcium/analysis
MH  - Coronary Artery Disease/*diagnostic imaging
MH  - Coronary Vessels/*pathology
MH  - Electrocardiography
MH  - *Heart Rate
MH  - Humans
MH  - Models, Anatomic
MH  - *Phantoms, Imaging
MH  - Reproducibility of Results
MH  - *Tomography, X-Ray Computed/instrumentation
EDAT- 2007/11/17 09:00
MHDA- 2008/02/26 09:00
CRDT- 2007/11/17 09:00
PHST- 2007/11/17 09:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2008/02/26 09:00 [medline]
PHST- 2007/11/17 09:00 [entrez]
AID - 00004424-200712000-00008 [pii]
AID - 10.1097/RLI.0b013e318154c549 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Invest Radiol. 2007 Dec;42(12):848-55. doi: 10.1097/RLI.0b013e318154c549.