Influence of the motion correction algorithm on the quality and interpretability of images of single-source 64-detector coronary CT angiography among patients grouped by heart rate.

We retrospectively investigated the effect of the motion correction algorithm (MCA) on image quality and interpretability by heart rate (HR) in coronary CT angiography (CCTA). For 105 patients (6 HR groups) undergoing CCTA, 2 readers independently graded the image quality of the 4 major coronary arteries reconstructed with and without MCA at diastole with HR ≤64 bpm and at systole and diastole ≥65 bpm using a 5-point scale. For each HR group and cardiac phase, we compared per-vessel and per-segment image quality using Wilcoxon signed rank test and percentages of interpretable image quality (scores 3-5) among without MCA at diastole with HR ≤64 bpm, as a reference, with MCA at diastole ≤69 bpm and at systole 70-79 bpm using the chi-square test. The motion correction algorithm reconstruction provided similar or better image quality and interpretability in all groups, with 96-100 % per-vessel (P = 0.008 for the right coronary artery; otherwise, P > 0.05) and 99 % per-segment interpretable image quality (P = 0.0002) at diastole with HR ≤69 bpm and at systole 70-79 bpm compared to the reference (88-100 and 97 %, respectively). MCA reconstruction preserved image quality and interpretability of CCTA with HR ≤79 bpm.