• Evaluation of Coronary Stents With 64-MDCT: In Vitro Comparison of Scanners From Four Vendors

    AJR:193, September 2009

    Florian Wolf, Filippo Cademartiri, Christian Loewe' Alfred Stadler Michael Weber, Johannes Lammer, Gudrun M. Feuchtner

    OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to compare 64-MDCT scanners from four vendors in the in vitro evaluation of coronary artery stents.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS. Twelve coronary artery stents (nominal outer diam­eter, 2.5-5.0 mm) oriented in the z-axis were placed in a combined cardiac-chest phantom and imaged with 64-MDCT scanners from four vendors. Quantitative image quality param­eters, including artificial in-stent luminal narrowing, image noise, and artificial in-stent lu­minal attenuation were measured on longitudinal and axial reformations. Imaging of stents with a luminal diameter of 3 mm or less and that of stents with a diameter greater than 3 mm also were compared.

    RESULTS. Artificial in-stent luminal narrowing was not different among the four vendors (range, 37-42%) on longitudinal reformations. Image noise inside the stent was significantly greater for one vendor (Siemens Healthcare; SD, 48 HU) than for the others (SD range, 21-26 HU) on longitudinal but not on axial images. For the same vendor, artificial in-stent luminal at­tenuation was significantly lower than for the other vendors. For all vendors, image noise inside the stent was significantly greater on axial than on longitudinal reformations (p < 0.001), and artificial luminal attenuation was significantly greater for all but one vendor (GE Healthcare). Stents 3 mm and narrower had significantly greater artificial luminal narrowing and artificial luminal attenuation (p < 0.05) than those with a diameter greater than 3 mm.

    CONCLUSION. For longitudinal reformations, scanners from the four leading vendors do not differ in artificial luminal narrowing, but there are differences in artificial luminal at­tenuation and image noise. The quality of images of the in-stent lumen is better on longitu­dinal reformations and for stents with a diameter greater than 3 mm. Except for image noise, differences between axial and longitudinal reformations are vendor specific.