Cardiovascular Imaging - Original Article

Coarctation of the aorta in adults: preoperative evaluation with multidetector CT angiography

10.4261/1305-3825.DIR.2434-08.1

  • Aysel Türkvatan
  • Pınar Özdemir Akdur
  • Tülay Ölçer
  • Turhan Cumhur

Received Date: 25.11.2008 Accepted Date: 10.02.2009 Diagn Interv Radiol 2009;15(4):269-274

PURPOSE

To evaluate the reliability of 16-slice multidetector computed tomographic (MDCT) angiography for the preoperative morphologic assessment of coarctation of the aorta in adults.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Twenty-four adult patients with clinical suspicion of coarctation of the aorta who underwent both Doppler echocardiography and MDCT angiography were included in this study. The sensitivities of diagnosis were assessed comparing MDCT and Doppler echocardiography with surgical results.

RESULTS

The overall sensitivity of three-dimensional MDCT for diagnosis of the coarctation of the aorta was 100%, which was higher than that of Doppler echocardiography (91%). The overall sensitivity of MDCT for the assessment of cardiac defects was 82%, which was lower than that of Doppler echocardiography (100%).

CONCLUSION

MDCT angiography with multiplanar and three-dimensional techniques should be the method of choice for preoperative morphologic assessment of coarctation of the aorta in adult patients.

Keywords: aortic coarctation ,adult ,multidetector computed tomography ,angiography