A tomographic approach to intravenous coronary arteriography

Coronary artery anatomy can be visualized using high speed, volume scanning X-ray CT. A single scan during a bolus injection of contrast medium provides image data for display of all angles of view of the opacified coronary arterial tree. Due to the tomographic nature of volume image data the superposition of contrast filled cardiac chambers, such as would occur in the levophase of an intravenous injection of contrast agent, can be eliminated. Data are presented which support these statements. The Dynamic Spatial Reconstructor (DSR) was used to scan a life-like radiologic phantom of an adult human thorax in which the left atrial and ventricular chambers and the major epicardial coronary arteries were opacified so as to simulate the levophase of an intravenous injection of contrast agent. A catheter filled with diluted contrast agent and with regions of luminal narrowing (i.e. 'stenoses') was advanced along a tract equivalent to a right ventricular catheterization. Ease of visualization of the catheter 'stenoses' and the accuracy with which they can be measured are presented. (Auth.)