CHICAGO, Nov. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Computed tomography (CT) angiography
is as accurate as an invasive angiogram in detecting coronary artery
disease, according to the findings of the first two prospective multicenter
64-slice scanner trials presented today at the annual meeting of the
Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
"These two trials with comparable results clearly set the stage for the
widespread adoption of and reimbursement for coronary artery CT
examinations," said Gerald D. Dodd III, M.D., chair of the Department of
Radiology at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio.
For the Coronary Artery Evaluation Using 64-Row Multidetector Computed
Tomography Angiography (CORE-64) Trial, researchers at nine international
centers studied 291 patients who were scheduled to undergo invasive
coronary angiography for suspected or unknown coronary artery disease. The
study found that 64-slice multidetector CT angiography was highly accurate
in detecting blockages of greater than 50 percent, with a sensitivity of 85
percent and a specificity of 90 percent. The noninvasive exam was equal in
accuracy to invasive angiography in its ability to identify patients to be
referred for angioplasty or bypass surgery.
"Reliable assessment of the presence of coronary blockages and accurate
prediction of coronary revascularizations are feasible with 64-slice CT
coronary angiography," said presenter Marc Dewey, M.D., radiologist at
Humboldt University Berlin, Charite, Germany. "Patients with low to
intermediate risk of having coronary blockages are most likely to benefit
from coronary CT angiography, since in those patients the necessity of
invasive angiography is greatly reduced."
The Assessment by Coronary Computed Tomographic Angiography of
Individuals UndeRgoing InvAsive Coronary AngiographY (ACCURACY) Trial
compared 64-row coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) to
quantitative coronary angiography (QCA). The results demonstrated that CCTA
is highly accurate in detecting coronary blockages in chest pain patients
referred for invasive coronary angiography and is also an effective
noninvasive method to exclude obstructive coronary blockages.
Sixteen institutions performed CCTA on 232 patients with typical or
atypical chest pain prior to invasive coronary angiography. Findings were
then compared to those of QCA, the reference standard used to quantify the
results of the invasive coronary angiography.
A total of 82 blockages greater than 50 percent in 49 patients and 31
blockages greater than 70 percent were detected in 28 patients by QCA.
Per-patient sensitivity and specificity of CCTA were 93 percent and 82
percent, respectively, for blockages greater than 50 percent, and 91
percent and 84 percent for blockages greater than 70 percent. In addition,
negative predictive value was 97 to 99 percent.
"In a population of chest pain patients with a low to intermediate
prevalence of obstructive coronary artery blockages, CCTA performed highly
accurately compared to invasive coronary angiography," said presenter James
K. Min, M.D., assistant professor of radiology and medicine at New York
Presbyterian Hospital and director of the Cardiac Computed Tomography
Laboratory and Cornell University Medical Center. "These findings
demonstrate the high diagnostic performance of CCTA."
AT A GLANCE
-- Two multicenter trials presented at RSNA2007 have found that CT
angiography is comparable to invasive coronary angiography in detecting
coronary blockages.
-- The CORE-64 Trial evaluated 291 patients at nine international centers
and found that 64-slice multidetector CT angiography was highly
accurate in detecting coronary blockages of greater than 50 percent.
-- The ACCURACY Trial found that noninvasive coronary CT angiography is
highly accurate in detecting coronary blockages in chest pain patients
referred for invasive coronary angiography and is also an effective
noninvasive method to exclude obstructive coronary blockages.
Note: Copies of RSNA 2007 news releases and electronic images will be
available online at RSNA.org/press07 beginning Monday, Nov. 26.
RSNA is an association of more than 41,000 radiologists, radiation
oncologists, medical physicists and related scientists committed to
excellence in patient care through education and research. The Society is
based in Oak Brook, Ill. (RSNA.org)
Editor's note: The data in these releases may differ from those in the
printed abstract and those actually presented at the meeting, as
researchers continue to update their data right up until the meeting. To
ensure you are using the most up-to-date information, please call the RSNA
Newsroom at 1-312-949-3233.
SOURCE Radiological Society of North America
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+1-630-590-7762, or Maureen Morley, +1-630-590-7754,
mmorley@rsna.org, or Linda Brooks, +1-630-590-7738,
lbrooks@rsna.org, both of Radiological Society of North America
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