The application study of dual-energy CT nonlinearblending technique in pulmonary angiography

Objective This study aimed to explore the feasibility of enhancing image quality in computed tomography(CT) pulmonary angiography (CTPA) and reducing radiation dose using the nonlinear blending (NLB)technique of dual-energy CT.Methods A total of 61 patients scheduled for CTPA were enrolled, and 30 patients underwent dual-energyscanning. Nonlinear blending images (NLB group) and three groups of linear blending images (LB group,80 kV group, and 140 kV group) were reconstructed after scanning;31 patients underwent single-energyscanning (120 kV group). The CT values and standard deviations of the pulmonary trunk, left and rightpulmonary arteries, and ipsilateral back muscle at the bifurcation level of the left and right pulmonaryarteries were measured. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of the fivegroups were calculated. The subjective image quality of the five groups was assessed. The radiation dosesof the dual- and single-energy groups were recorded and calculated.Results The CNR and SNR values of blood vessels in the NLB group were significantly higher than thosein the LB, 140 kV, and 80 kV groups (CNR of pulmonary artery trunk: t = 3.50, 4.06, 7.17, all P < 0.05;SNRof pulmonary trunk: t = 3.76, 4.71, 6.92, all P < 0.05). There were no statistical differences in the CNR andSNR values between the NLB group and 120 kV group (P > 0.05). The effective radiation dose of the dualenergygroup was lower than that of the single-energy group (t = –4.52, P < 0.05). The subjective scores ofimages in the NLB group were the highest (4.28 ± 0.74).Conclusion The NLB technique of dual-energy CT can improve the image quality of CTPA and reducethe radiation dose, providing more reliable imaging data for the clinical diagnosis of pulmonary embolism.

Exploration the Method of Low Dose Coronary Artery Imaging with Dual-Source CT

Objective: On the premise that the image quality meets the requirements of clinical diagnosis, we explored the methods to reduce the radiation dose of coronary artery imaging with Dual-Source CT (DSCT). Methods: We randomly selected 200 patients with coronary heat disease (BIM 0.05). The average image noise in group A is (41.76 ± 7.98) HU, in group B the average image noise is (43.97 ± 3.88) HU, the dif- ference between the two groups was not statistically significant (P>0.05). The average CTDIvol of group A and B were (20.63 ± 2.24) mGy, (38.11 ± 10.69) mGy, respectively, then P <0.01. The average DLP of group A and B are (235.75 ± 28.64) mGycm and (492.59 ± 125.49) mGycm respectively, then P <0.01, the dif- ference of radiation dose had statistical significance (P<0.05). Conclusions: For coronary artery imaging with DSCT the heart electric pulse (AUTO) regulation technology can meet the diagnostic requirements and effectively reduce the radiation dose.

Application of Dual-Source CT TurboFlash Coarse Pitch Scanning in Coronary Artery Imaging

Objective: To compare and analyze the image quality and radiation dose of three scanning modes of dual-source CT coronary artery retrospectively, and to discuss the application value of TurboFlash coarse pitch scanning mode. Methods: The imaging data of 100 patients who underwent CT coronary angiography (CCTA) using Siemens force CT retrospective gated triggering spiral scan (RES-SPIRAL), adaptive prospective gated triggering sequence scan (SEQ) and prospective coarse pitch scan (TurboFlash) retrospectively was collected. The image quality was evaluated by objective and subjective methods. The effective radiation dose of patients was compared and analyzed, and the indications of the three scanning modes were analyzed. The application value of dual-source CT TurboFlash coarse pitch scanning in coronary artery imaging was evaluated. Results: The results showed that the left main coronary artery, the right coronary artery and their tertiary branches could be clearly displayed in the three groups of images: the left anterior descending branch, the left circumflex branch, and their three-level branches. There was no statistical difference in subjective image quality among the three groups of pictures (P > 0.05). There was no statistical difference in objective evaluation indexes, such as CT value, SNR, CNR and Noise among the three groups (P > 0.05). The patient radiation dose results showed that the effective radiation dose ED of RES-SPIRA scan was (9.22 ± 1.33) mSv. The dose of SEQ was (2.88 ± 2.47) mSv, and the dose of TurboFlash was (0.51 ± 0.16) mSv. There was significant difference in comparison of the three groups (P 0.05). RES-spiral scanning had the highest radiation dose and TurboFlash coarse pitch scanning (TurboFlash) had the lowest radiation dose. Conclusion: TurboFlash coarse pitch scanning is low in dosage, fast in speed and wide in adaptability. It is especially suitable for the elderly, children, coma and other patients who cannot cooperate with breath-holding examination, as well as for the screening and examination of coronary artery diseases in asymptomatic population. Undoubtedly, it is a worthy method of heart coronary artery examination.

Diagnostic Value of Dual-Energy CT in Differentiating Malignant and Benign Thyroid Nodules: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objectives: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of the quantitative iodine parameters, including Iodine Concentration (IC), Normalized Iodine Concentration (NIC), and λHU, in distinguishing malignant and benign thyroid nodules. Methods: Relevant studies were searched from Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure database and other complementary sources from inception to May 20, 2020. Study selection, data extraction, quality assessment, and data analyses were performed following the Cochrane standards and the PRISMA-DTA guideline. Results: Eight studies were included (595 patients with 737 thyroid nodules). The pooled sensitivity, specificity and summary diagnostic odds ratio of IC were 79% (95% CI: 69% - 86%), 76% (95% CI: 65% - 84%) and 11 (95% CI: 5 - 27) respectively;those of NIC were 78% (95% CI: 70% - 85%), 80% (95% CI: 74% - 85%) and 15 (95% CI: 9 - 24) respectively;those of λHU were 80% (95% CI: 71% - 87%), 77% (95% CI: 70% - 83%) and 14 (95% CI: 8 - 24) respectively. Conclusion: DECT can be a potential evaluation tool for thyroid nodules. The NIC may be the most sensitive iodine parameter and could be comparable between different DECT machines in thyroid nodule assessment.

Application of Dual-Energy CT Non-Linear Fusion Technology in Improving CTA Image Quality of Renal Cancer

Objective: To explore the significance of dual-energy CT non-linear fusion technique in improving the quality of CTA image of renal cancer. Methods: The CTA images of 100 patients who had been confirmed by pathology as renal cancer were collected and were randomly divided into experimental group and control group with 50 cases respectively. The two groups of patients were treated with iodine concentration of 300 mg/ml and 350 mg/ml non-ionic contrast agent, with a dosage of 1.5 ml/kg and an injection rate of 4 ml/s. The contrast agent intelligently tracking method was adopted bolus. The control group used the conventional CTA scanning, with a reference tube voltage/tube current of 100 kv/ref150 mas. The experimental group adopted the double energy scanning, with ball tube A and ball tube B. The reference tube voltage/tube current was 100 kv/ref250 mas and sn150 kv/ref125 mas respectively. The images of the experimental group were non-linear fused to obtain the Mono+ 55 kev single-energy images. The CT value, SNR contrast ratio of the abdominal aorta, renal artery and tumor tissue of the experimental group images and the 100 KV images and the Mono+ 55 kev images of the control group were compared. The objective evaluation and subjective evaluation of the image quality of the three groups of images was performed. Results: The results showed that the 100 kV images of the experimental group were statistically different from those of the control group (P05) in CT value, SNR and CNR (P 0.05). And there was no statistically significant difference between the non-linear fusion single-energy Mono+ 55 kev images and the control group images in CT value, SNR and CNR (P > 0.05). The subjective evaluation of image quality showed that there was no significant difference between Mono+ 55 kev images and control group images, and the quality of Mono+ 55 kev images was higher than that of experimental group 100 kV images. Conclusion: The dual-energy CT non-linear fusion technique can improve the quality of CTA image in patients with renal cancer, and it is possible to obtain high quality CTA images with low iodine concentration contrast agent.

Dual-Energy X-Ray Computed Tomography Scanner Using Two Different Energy-Selection Electronics and a Lutetium-Oxyorthosilicate Photomultiplier Detector

To obtain two kinds of tomograms at two different X-ray energy ranges simultaneously, we have constructed a dual-energy X-ray photon counter with a lutetium-oxyorthosilicate photomultiplier detector system, three comparators, two microcomputers, and two frequency-voltage converters. X-ray photons are detected using the detector system, and the event pulses are input to three comparators simultaneously to determine threshold energies. At a tube voltage of 100 kV, the three threshold energies are 16, 35 and 52 keV, and two energy ranges are 16 - 35 and 52 - 100 keV. X-ray photons in the two ranges are counted using microcomputers, and the logical pulses from the two microcomputers are input to two frequency-voltage converters. In dual-energy computed tomography (CT), the tube voltage and current were 100 kV and 0.29 mA, respectively. Two tomograms were obtained simultaneously at two energy ranges. The energy ranges for gadolinium-L-edge and K-edge CT were 16 - 35 and 52 - 100 keV, respectively. The maximum count rate of dual-energy CT was 105 kilocounts per second with energies ranging from 16 to 100 keV, and the exposure time for tomography was 19.6 min.

Application of an Advanced Image-Based Virtual Monoenergetic Reconstruction of Dual Source Dual-Energy CT Data at Low keV Increases Image Quality for Esophageal Cancer Patients Imaging

Purpose: To explore the significance of dual-source computed tomography (DECT) virtual monoenergetic reconstructions technology in improving the imaging quality of esophageal cancer patients. Materials and methods: 68 patients with clinically suspected esophageal cancer (all confirmed by pathology) were collected. Routine plain scan was performed with SIEMENS Force dual-energy CT and then dual-phase scans were performed. The venous phase images were respectively subjected to traditional virtual monoenergetic reconstructions (Mono_E) and new generation virtual monoenergetic reconstructions (Mono+). Mono_E 55 keV and Mono+ 55 keV virtual single-energy images were obtained respectively. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of normal esophageal tissue and esophageal cancer lesions, noise and contrast noise ratio (CNR tumor) of normal esophageal tissue and esophageal cancer lesions were compared among 100 kV images, Mono_E images and Mono+ images. At the same time, two imaging physicians read the films and scored the images of each group by using a 5-point scoring method. Results: Mono+ 55 keV images, SNR, SNRtumor, noise and CNRtumor were statistically different from those of 100 kV images and Mono_E images (P < 0.05). And Mono+ 55 keV images also had the highest subjective score, with statistical significance (P 55 keV images had the best quality. Conclusion: The new generation of virtual monoenergetic reconstructions post-processing (Mono+) could reduce image noise and improve the contrast between esophageal cancer lesions and normal esophageal tissues, which was of great significance to improve the imaging quality of esophageal cancer patients and improve the early detection rate of esophageal cancer.

Value of dual-energy CT virtual noncalcium in the diagnosis of sacroiliac joint bone marrow edema

Objective:To explore the clinical value of dual energy CT(DECT)virtual noncalcium(VNCa)in the diagnosis of sacroiliac joint bone marrow edema(BME).Methods:A collection of 45 patients(21 males,24 females,and an average age of 34 years)who underwent MRI and DECT(Siemens Somatom definition force)examinations for the sacroiliac joints in our hospital from January 2019 to August 2020.After the DECT scan,the bone marrow pseudo-color map was obtained after VNCa processing.The bone marrow pseudo-color map was evaluated by two physicians.Take MRI test results as the gold standard,the application value of DECT VNCa technology in the diagnosis of sacroiliac joint BME was analyzed.Results:The positive predictive value(PPV),negative predictive value(NPV),sensitivity(Sen),specificity(Spe)and accuracy(Acc)of the qualitative diagnosis of iliac bone and sacral BME with DECT VNCa technology was:80.6%,85.2%,78.4%,86.8%,83.3%and 100%,64.9%,32.5%,100%,70.0%,respectively.The area of edema displayed by quantitative measurement of DECT VNCa image is smaller than the area measured by MRI image.The VNCa CT value(-71.66±72.97Hu)of the iliac edema area was higher than that of the non-edema area(-90.27±65.85Hu),and the VNCa CT value of the sacral edema area(-62.90±46.87Hu)was higher than that of the non-edema area(-101.08±134.02Hu),the best cut-off values(Cut-off values)for the quantitative diagnosis of iliac bone and sacral BME by VNCa are-66.40Hu and-50.60Hu,respectively.The curve of the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)of the iliac bone and sacrum area under the cure(AUC)is 0.720 and 0.706 respectively.There is a moderate negative correlation between the VNCa CT values of the ilium and sacrum in the edema area and the conventional CT values.Conclusion:The DECT VNCa technique has certain effectiveness in the diagnosis of sacroiliac joint BME,and its effectiveness in the diagnosis of ilium BME is better than sacrum.

Significance of an Advanced Image-Based Virtual Monoenergetic Reconstruction of Dual Source Dual-Energy CT Data at Low keV Increases Image Quality for Portal Vein System of Pancreatic Cancer Patients

Purpose: To explore the significance of dual-source computed tomography (DECT) virtual monoenergetic reconstructions technology in improving image quality for portal vein system of pancreatic cancer patients. Materials and methods: 47 patients with clinically suspected pancreatic cancer (all confirmed by pathology) were collected. Routine plain scan was performed with Siemens Force dual-source dual-energy CT followed by 3 scans respectively carried out in arterial phase, portal phase and delayed phase. Traditional virtual monoenergetic reconstructions (Mono_E) and new generation of virtual monoenergetic reconstructions (Mono+) were respectively performed on portal vein images to obtain virtual single energy images including Mono_ E70 keV, Mono_E 55 keV and Mono+ 70 keV and Mono+ 55 keV. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and noise of portal vein, normal pancreatic tissues and pancreatic lesions of 100 kV, Mono_E and Mono+ images were compared. In addition, the contrast noise ratio of portal vein and lesions as well as pancreatic tissues and lesions (CNR PV, CNRtumor) were also compared. At the same time, two imaging physicians with rich clinical experiences read the films and scored the images of each group by using the 5-point scoring method. Results: Mono+ 55 keV images including SNRpv, SNRpanc, SNRtumor, Noise, CNRpv, CNRtumor were statistically different from 100 KV images and Mono_E images (P < 0.05). As for the subjective score, Mono+ 55 keV image score also had the highest score, which had statistical significance (P < 0.05). The results showed that Mono+ 55 keV images had the best quality. Conclusion: The new generation of virtual Mono+ post-treatment can reduce image noise. Low energy Mono+ images can improve the contrast between pancreatic cancer lesions and portal of pancreatic cancer patients.

Feasibility of Improved Attenuation Correction for SPECT Reconstruction in the Presence of Dense Materials Using Dual-Energy Virtual Monochromatic CT: A Phantom Study

Objective: Computed tomography (CT)-based attenuation correction (CTAC) offers the clear benefit of reliable reconstruction of single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) images through its ability to achieve object-specific attenuation maps, but artifacts from dense materials often deteriorate CTAC performance. Therefore, we investigate the feasibility of CTAC in the presence of dense materials using dual-energy virtual monochromatic CT data. Methods: A sodium pertechnetate-filled cylindrical uniform phantom, with a pair of undiluted iodine syringes attached, is scanned with a dual-source CT scanner to obtain both single-energy (120 kVp) polychromatic and dual-energy (80 kVp/140 kVp with tin filtering) virtual monochromatic CT images. The single-energy and the dual-energy CT images are then converted to attenuation maps at 141 keV. SPECT images are reconstructed from 99mTc emission data of the phantom using each single-energy and dual-energy attenuation map and incorporating CTAC procedure. A region-of-in- terest analysis is performed to quantitatively compare the attenuation maps between the single-energy and the dual-energy techniques, each at an iodine-free position and a position adjacent to the iodine solutions. Results: At the iodine-free position, the phantom provides a uniform distribution of attenuation maps in both the single-energy and the dual-energy techniques. In the presence of adjacent iodine solutions, however, severe artifacts appeare in the single-energy CT images. These artifacts make attenuation values fluctuate, resulting in erroneous pixel values in the CTAC SPECT images. In contrast, dual-energy CT strongly suppresses the artifacts and hence improves the uniformity of the attenuation maps and the resultant SPECT images. Conclusions: Dual-energy CT with virtual monochromatic reconstruction has the potential to substantially reduce artifacts arising from dense materials. It has the potential to improve the accuracy of attenuation maps and the resultant CTAC SPECT images.

双源螺旋CT与全身骨显像对胸椎骨转移瘤的诊断价值

目的:探讨双源螺旋CT与99Tcm-MDP全身骨显像对胸椎骨转移瘤的诊断价值。资料和方法:回顾性分析临床确诊胸椎骨转移瘤且资料完整的住院患者39例52处胸椎骨转移瘤,分析其双源螺旋CT与99Tcm-MDP全身骨显像检查结果。计算两种检查结果的灵敏度及特异性。结果:双源螺旋CT发现37例患者共42处锥体破坏,其灵敏度(81.6%),双源螺旋CT明确诊断胸椎转移瘤27例,可疑10例;99Tcm-MDP全身骨显像检查发现27例患者共31处椎体放射性异常浓集,其灵敏度(59.2%),全身骨显像明确诊断胸椎转移瘤20例,可疑7例;39例患者全身骨显像发现锥体外多发放射性异常浓集。结论:双源螺旋CT对胸椎骨转移瘤的诊断较99Tcm-MDP全身骨显像具有更高的灵敏度,但多数患者经99Tcm-MDP全身骨显像可获得较为明确的诊断。

Head dual energy-computed tomography angiography versus neuro-digital subtraction angiography

Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry provides two modes of head computed tomography （CT） angiography scanning： neuro-digital subtraction angiography and dual-energy CT angiography （DE-CTA）. Previous studies have compared image quality, radiation exposure, and bone removal between neuro-digital subtraction angiography and DE-CTA. However, the number of cases was relatively small. The present study examined 300 suspected cases of cerebrovascular disease and observed the methods and duration of post-processing, examination time, and data volume. Results demonstrated similar image quality between the two methods, but lower radiation doses and shorter examination time in DE-CTA. DE-CTA allowed for faster and more stable scanning performance and post-processing methods, facilitating accurate and direct diagnosis of cerebrovascular disease.

Application of Dual-Energy Computed Tomography for Breast Cancer Diagnosis

The present study aimed to investigate the possibility of using dual-energy computed tomography (CT) before therapy to discriminate between normal breast tissue and tumor tissue in patients with breast cancer, without the need to use a contrast medium. The following patient data were extracted by interview and from the hospital’s radiology information system: height, weight, age, menstrual cycle, CT images of normal tissue and tumors with or without contrast medium, and the histopathological diagnosis of the aspiration biopsy. The median age of the 43 participants was 56 years (range, 30 - 80 years). The CT values were evaluated using a clinical analytical program based on the three-material decomposition technique. Breast cancer was classified into ductal carcinoma in situ, invasive ductal carcinoma, invasive lobular carcinoma, fibromatosis-like metaplastic carcinoma, and apocrine carcinoma. In all conditions, regardless of contrast medium, the CT values of tumor tissues were higher than those of normal breast tissue, indicating the effectiveness of dual-energy CT (DE-CT) in the diagnosis of breast cancer. By contrast, DE-CT showed limited potential for distinguishing ductal carcinoma in situ from invasive ductal carcinoma. There have only been a few reports regarding CT examination of breast cancer, and it is expected this study encourage the development of DE-CT imaging to improve tumor detection in patients with breast cancer.

Dual-Energy Computed Tomography for the Diagnosis of Urethral Foreign Body: A Case Study

Foreign body insertion in the urethra and bladder is not uncommon and has been reported in many studies to date. However, since foreign bodies are often accidentally introduced into the urethra and bladder during masturbation, they take a variety of shapes and sizes. Furthermore, patient self-reports are typically unreliable as many patients feel ashamed;thus, appropriate preoperative diagnosis is critical. Diagnosis of foreign body insertion in the urethra and bladder is performed using imaging modalities such as abdominal X-ray and computed tomography (CT). However, single-energy CT (SECT) is not sufficient in detecting foreign bodies in some cases. In the present study, we report a successful preoperative identification of urethral foreign body in a patient using dual-energy CT (DECT).

Comparison of low-dose sequences of dual-source CT and echocardiography for preoperative evaluation of aortic valve disease

Background Accurate evaluation of coronary artery,aortic valve annulus diameter （AVAD）,and cardiac function in patients with aortic valve disease is of great significance for surgical strategy.In this study,we explored the preoperative evaluation of low-dose sequence （MinDose sequence） scan of dual-source CT （DSCT） for those patients.Methods Forty patients suspected for aortic valve disease （the experimental group） underwent MinDose sequence of DSCT to observe coronary artery,AVAD,and left ventricular ejection fraction （LVEF）.Another 33 subjects suspected for coronary artery disease （the control group） underwent conventional retrospective electrocardiographically-gated sequence of DSCT.Two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography （2D-TTE） and four-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography （4D-TTE） were applied in the experimental group to measure AVAD and LVEF and compared with MinDose-DSCT.Results There was a strong correlation between LVEFs measured by 2D-TTE and MinDose-DSCT （r=0.87,P ＜0.01）,as well as between 4D-TTE and MinDose-DSCT （r=0.90,P ＜0.01）.AVAD measured by MinDose-DSCT was in good agreement with corresponding measurements by 2D-TTE （r=0.90,P ＜0.01）.The effective dose in the experimental group was 63.54％ lower than that in the control group.Conclusions MinDose sequence of DSCT with a low radiation dose serving as a one-stop preoperative evaluation makes effective assessment of the coronary artery,AVAD,and LVEF for patients with aortic valve disease.

A study on noise reduction for dual-energy CT material decomposition with autoencoder

Purpose A major challenge for the material decomposition task of the dual-energy computed tomography(DECT)is the algorithm often suffers from heavy noise in the results.The purpose of this study is to propose a scheme to increase the noise performance of material decomposition.Methods The scheme we propose in this paper is to apply an autoencoder-based denoising procedure to the photon-counting DECT images before they are fed into the material decomposition algorithm.We implement the autoencoder(AE)by stacking a series of convolutional and deconvolutional layers.The decomposition technique adopted in our work is an iterative method using least squares estimation with the Huber loss function.The noises of the input and the output of material decomposition are analyzed with both simulated data and real data.Phantom and chicken wing experiments are conducted with a photoncounting-based spectral CT scanner to evaluate the proposed material decomposition scheme.Results The noise analysis of the input and the output of material decomposition demonstrates a positive correlation between them.Comparative experiment indicates a noise reduction in the output density maps for 26.07%to 35.65%after the autoencoder pre-processing is applied.The resultant contrast-to-noise ratio is largely increased,correspondingly.Conclusions By utilizing the additional autoencoder denoising step,the material decomposition algorithm achieves an improvement in the noise performance of the resultant density maps.

Correlation between Automated Quantification of Lung Perfusion Blood Volume (PBV) and Pulmonary Artery Pressure

Purpose: Dual-energy CT (DECT) can be used for quantification of lung perfusion blood volume (PBV), allowing objective evaluation. However, no reports have investigated pulmonary perfusion correlating with pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) in patients with chronic pulmonary diseases. The purpose was to evaluate automated quantification of the lung PBV using dual-energy CT, and its correlation with PAP. Methods: 274 patients who underwent echocardiography within two weeks also underwent CT. The population was divided into high (&ge;40 mmHg) and low (<40 mmHg) estimated systolic PAP (sPAP) groups (n = 63 and n = 211, respectively). We retrospectively eva-luated the lung PBV using Syngo software, and correlations between the lung PBV and estimated sPAP. Results: Lung PBV values were 25.0 ± 9.6 and 29.0 ± 9.3 Hounsfield units (HU) in high and low sPAP groups, respectively, with a significant difference between them (p = 0.003). In the high sPAP group with underlying lung diseases (n = 15), chronic thromboembolism (n = 25), pulmonary artery stenosis (n = 12), and left heart failure (n = 11), using the Dana Point classification system, lung PBV values were 18.6 ± 1.6, 25.1 ± 4.5, 25.8 ± 4.5, and 32.7 ± 9.4 HU, respectively. There were significant differences in quantification of the lung PBV among them. The mean sPAP of subjects with left heart failure was significantly higher than in the others. In subjects with left heart failure, a positive correlation between the lung PBV value and sPAP was noted (R = 0.721, p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Automated quantification of the lung PBV may estimate the high sPAP. The lung PBV may contribute to clarifying the etiology of a high PAP due to left heart failure.

Relationship of Cystatin-C with coronary artery disease in the elderly patients with diabetes

Objective: To study the relationship between Cystatin C (Cys-C) level and the development of coronary heart disease in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: 120 cases of elderly diabetic patients were involved in this study from October 2013 to November 2015 in Depart-ment of Endocrinology and Cardiology. All patients underwent the detection of routine flash dual-source coronary computed tomography angioplasty (CCTA), Cys-C, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). According to the difference of CCTA results, the patients were divided into DM1 group (with normal coronary CTA), DM2 group (with a coronary artery stenosis rate < 50%), DM3 group (with a coronary artery stenosis rate of 50%-74%) and DM4 group (with a coronary artery stenosis rate of ≥ 75%). The levels of Cys-C and HbA1c were compared in the four groups. Results: The blood levels of Cys-C and HbA1c showed significant differences between DM1, DM2, DM3 and DM4 group (p <.05). The age, heart rate, blood pressure showed no statistical differences between the groups. The level of Cys-C was positively correlated with HbA1c. Conclusions: The blood level of Cys-C in the elderly patients with T2DM increased with the increase of the degree of coronary artery stenosis. Blood Cys-C may be used as an early predictor of coronary artery lesions in elderly patients with T2DM.

心脏电机械偶联与Flash双源CT冠状动脉成像在高心率患者中的应用(英文)

Objective To assess the image quality and effective radiation dose of prospectively electrocardiogram-triggered high-pitch spiral acquisition (flash spiral mode)dual-source CT coronary angiography in patients with high heart rate(HR).Methods From 1321 consecutive patients,seventy patients with HR≥70 bpm (group A) and seventy patients with HR<70 bpm (group B) underwent CT angiography and were prospectively included in this study.The start phase for image acquisition of the most cranial slice was selected at 20%-30% of the R-R interval for group A and at 60% of the RR interval for group B.Assessed the image quality and effective radiation dose of two group.Results (1)There were no significant differences in age,sex,BMI and scan time between the two groups.(2)Image qualities:The segments with non-diagnostic image quality occurred (i.e.score 3) had no significant difference between group A and group B (2.1% vs.1.5%,P=0.48).Non-diagnostic image quality was most often found in the RCA and LCX in both groups.(3)The estimated radiation dose was on average (1.00±0.15) mSv(0.7-1.82 mSv) in group A and (1.01±0.16)mSv (0.65-1.82 mSv) in group B.Conclusions Patients with high heart rates can be performed CTCA with high-pitch spiral acquisition mode.20%-30% of the R-R interval window for data acquisition for high-pitch dual-source CTCA may probably obtain good image quality with low doses.The highest HRs are 100 bpm with good image quality.HR variability is a great effect factor of image quality.The estimated radiation dose is about 1 mSv.

心房颤动患者的低剂量、大螺距双源CT冠状动脉成像的可行性研究(英文)

Objective The objective was to attempt to rule out whether high-pitch spiral acquisition dual-source computed tomography coronary angiography(CTCA)can be performed in patients with atrial fibrillation at low dose.Methods Ten patients with atrial fibrillation who were admitted for a first diagnostic coronary angiogram were screened for participation.All patients underwent dual-source CT.Patients were performed CTCA using the prospectively ECG-gated high-pitch mode and retrospective ECG gating spiral acquisition respectively with their permissions.The start phase for image acquisition of the most cranial slice was selected at 20%-30% of the R-R interval in all patients.Results Image qualities of prospectively ECG-gated high-pitch mode were rated as being excellent in 7 cases of all the patients and only 3 cases′ image qualities were graded score 2.By using retrospective ECG gating spiral acquisition mode,non-diagnostic image quality (score 3) occurred in 4 patients which were observed in RCA and 1 patient in LCX.The estimated radiation dose ranges from 0.68 to 1.887 mSv in flash mode and the radiation dose of spiral mode were very high ranging from 14.92 to 29.308 mSv.Conclusions Our case series suggest that patients with atrial fibrillation rhythm can be performed CTCA with high-pitch spiral acquisition mode.20%-30% of the RR interval window for data acquisition for high-pitch dual-source CTCA may probably obtain good image quality with low doses.