Reduction of the total injection volume of contrast material with a short injection duration in 64-detector row CT coronary angiography

¹ , Radiology, Japan
² , Internal Medicine I, Japan
³ , Internal Medicine III, Osaka Medical College, 2-7 Daigaku-machi, Takatsuki City, Osaka 569-8686, Japan

	Abstract

The ability of short injection duration of contrast material to reduce the total injection volume in 64-detector row CT coronary angiography was investigated. 45 patients were divided into three groups: (i) those receiving 0.8 ml kg^–1 of contrast material (350 mgI ml^–1) injected with a fixed duration of 14 s (Group A; n = 16); (ii) those receiving 0.8 ml kg^–1 of contrast material injected with a fixed duration of 10 s (Group B; n = 15); and (iii) those receiving 0.7 ml kg^–1 of contrast material injected with a fixed duration of 10 s (Group C; n = 14). All patients then received 20 ml of saline. Contrast densities of the ascending aorta and proximal and distal coronary arteries were assessed where vessel diameters were >2.0 mm. The mean enhancement value in the ascending aorta for Group B was significantly higher than that for Groups A and C (p<0.05), whereas there was no significant difference between Groups A and C. All enhancement values in the coronary arteries were higher than 250 HU. The mean enhancement value for each coronary artery in Group B was significantly higher than that for Group A (p<0.05), whereas there was no significant difference between Groups A and C. In conclusion, a short injection duration allows a reduction in the total volume of contrast material from 0.8 ml kg^–1 to 0.7 ml kg^–1 while a steady contrast enhancement is maintained in the ascending aorta and coronary arteries.