Higher temporal resolution with dual-source CT (66 ms) reduced motion blur and led to significantly lower CAC, AVC, and MAC scores than 125 ms reconstructions.
Lower temporal resolution (125 ms) overestimated calcium burden and led to reclassification of risk categories in 4% of CAC cases and 11% of AVC cases.
The study underlines temporal resolution as an important technical factor for calcium scoring accuracy, especially when cardiac motion may artificially inflate calcium scores.
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Figure 2. ECG-gated non-contrast CT images in a 65-year-old male patient with severe aortic stenosis and extensive aortic valve calcifications. Note the sharp delineation of aortic valve calcifications on 66 ms reconstructions (A) and the motion artifacts on 125 ms reconstructions (B). Aortic valve calcification scores were 3209 and 3839 on 66 ms and 125 ms reconstructions, respectively.
Figure 5. Barplots showing classification and reclassification rates of risk categories for AVC and CAC. Note the overestimation of categories on 125ms reconstructions both for AVC and CAC in 8 and 3 cases, respectively
Source: Sartoretti et al., International Journal of Cardiovascular Imaging, 2024, CC BY 4.0
Protocol
Detail | Value |
|---|
Scanner | NAEOTOM Alpha |
Software | VA50 |
Scan area | Cardiac |
Scan mode | Dual-source prospective ECG-gated sequential |
Tube voltage [kV] | 120 |
IQ level | 20 |
Dose modulation | CARE Dose4D |
CTDIvol [mGy] | 3.4 ± 1.7 |
DLP [mGy*cm] | 47.9 ± 20.2 |
Rotation time [s] | 0.25 |
Pitch | n.a. |
Matrix | 512 × 512 |
Field of view [mm] | 240 × 240 |
Slice collimation [mm] | n.a. |
Slice width [mm] | 3.0 |
Reconstruction increment [mm] | 1.5 |
Reconstruction kernel | Qr40 |
keV level [keV] | 70 |
Iterative reconstruction | None, no QIR |
Temporal resolution | 66 ms dual-source | 125 ms simulated single-source |
ECG trigger | Absolute interval 280 ms from R-wave |
Heart rate control | No β-blockers administered |
Sartoretti T, Mergen V, Dzaferi A, et al. Effect of temporal resolution on calcium scoring: insights from photon-counting detector CT. Int J Cardiovasc Imaging. 2024;41(3):615–625.
