Radiation Dose Estimates From Cardiac Multislice Computed Tomography in Daily Practice

BACKGROUND: Multislice computed tomography angiography (CTA) is a promising technology for imaging patients with suspected coronary artery disease. Compared with 16-slice CTA, the improved spatial and temporal resolution of 64-slice CTA (0.6- versus 1.0-mm slice thickness and 330- versus 420-ms gantry rotation time) is associated with an increase in radiation dose. The objective of this retrospective investigation was to compare the estimated dose received during 16- and 64-slice CTA in daily practice and to investigate the impact of different scan protocols on dose and image quality. METHODS AND RESULTS: Radiation dose was estimated for 1035 patients undergoing coronary CTA. Scanning algorithms with and…