Quantitative Whole Heart Stress Perfusion CT Imaging As Noninvasive Assessment of Hemodynamics in Coronary Artery Stenosis: Preliminary Animal Experience

Purpose: To quantify differences in regional myocardial perfusion in coronary artery stenosis by the use of dual source computed tomography (DSCT) in an animal model.

Material And Methods: In 5 pigs, an 80% stenosis of the left anterior descending artery was successfully induced by partial balloon occlusion (ischemia group). Five animals served as control group. All animals underwent contrast enhanced whole heart DSCT (Definition Flash, Siemens, Germany) perfusion imaging using a prototype electrocardiogram -triggered dynamic scan mode. Imaging was performed at rest as well as under stress conditions during continuous infusion of adenosine (240 mg/kg/min). For contrast enhancement 60 mL Iopromide 300 (Ultravist 300, Bayer-Schering Pharma, Berlin, Germany) were injected at a rate of 6 mL/s. Myocardial blood flow (MBF), first pass distribution volume, and intravascular blood volume were volumetrically quantified.

Results: In the control group MBF increased significantly from 98.2 mL/100 mL/min to 134.0 mL/100 mL/min if adenosine was administered (P = 0.0153). There were no significant differences in the perfusion parameters comparing the control and ischemia group at rest. In the ischemia group MBF under stress was 74.0 +/- 21.9 mL/100 mL/min in the poststenotic myocardium and 117.4 +/- 18.6 mL/100 mL/min in the remaining normal myocardium (P = 0.0024).

Conclusion: DSCT permits quantitative whole heart perfusion imaging. As this technique is able to show the hemodynamic effect of high grade coronary artery stenosis, it exceeds the present key limitation of cardiac computed tomography, which currently only allows a morphologic assessment of coronary artery stenosis.