Multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) has proven in
several studies to have a high diagnostic accuracy for the detection
or exclusion of coronary artery disease. A major concern with coronary
MSCT, however, is the associated radiation exposure of patients.
Recent studies suggest that use of a 64-slice scanner is associated
with a non-negligible lifetime attributable risk of cancer. Several
strategies can be used to reduce patient exposure in coronary MSCT.
The purpose of this multicenter study was to investigate the effects
of the adjustment of tube voltage and current on radiation dose
and image interpretability. MSCT with retrospective ECG gating was performed
in 315 patients. The dose-length product (DLP) in the patients enrolled
with the dose reduction protocol resulted in a 36% overall reduction
in the mean radiation dose (911 ± 289 mGy.cm) compared with the
standard protocol (1427 ± 226 mGy.cm, p < 0.001).
Nevertheless, image interpretability was maintained. This study
on coronary MSCT demonstrates that the radiation dose can be significantly reduced
by parameter optimization, with maintained image interpretability.