Low dose Cardiac CT exam in a patient with high BMI, high heart rate, highly calcified coronary arteries and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation
Heart rate 85-136 BPM
Patient history
Patient in his 70's with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation was referred to CT for assessment of chronic coronary artery disease before pulmonary vein ablation.
Acquisition
One-beat cardiac acquisition:
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160 mm axial scanning with ECG and Auto Gating
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100 kV and 542 mA
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BMI: 34 (101 kg, 172 cm)
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ASiR™-V1 to lower dose
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0.28 sec rotation speed
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Heart rate: 85 - 136 BPM
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70 cc of contrast media (400 mg I/ml, flow 4 cc/s) including SmartPrep phase triggering
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DLP 92 mGy-cm
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1.2 mSv2
Results
Conclusion
This cardiac CT scan did not show any signs of disease in the pulmonary veins, the left atrium and the included parts of the lungs. The physician also reported a strong coronary atherosclerosis.
Footnote
1 In clinical practice, the use of ASiR-V may reduce CT patient dose depending on the clinical task, patient size, anatomical location and clinical practice. A consultation with a radiologist and a physicist should be made to determine the appropriate dose to obtain diagnostic image quality for the particular clinical task.
2 Obtained using a chest factor of 0.014*DLP.