Diagnostic Method of Congenital Cardiovascular Diseases Using Spiral Computed Tomography and Three Dimensional Reconstruction

Lee, Hye Kyung

Abstract

PURPOSE: One of the new methods for diagnosing congenital cardiovascular diseases is the spiral CT and three-dimensional image reconstruction. The spiral CT allows continuous data collection while the subject is advanced through the CT gantry, it provides an uninterrupted volume of data that can be reconstructed to produce a three-dimensional representation of CT information and also this method has created CT angiography that provides more detailed information with a global view of the vascular structure. So the author applied this technique in diagnosis of selected cases of congenital cardiovascular diseases.
METHODS
Eight cases were admitted to evaluate congenital cardivascular diseases by using this method to obtain detailed information of great vessel anomaly at Soonchunhyang University Chunan Hospital from May 1995 to July 1997.
RESULTS
Eight cases aged 3 days to 34 years. There were four cases of coractation of aorta, right aberrant subclavian artery, absence pulmonary valve syndrome, total anomalous pulmonary venous return and major aorticopulmonary collateral. In four of eight cases, cardiac angiography was undertaken and in one case, barium esophagography was undertaken, and in two cases, MR angiography was undertaken. Comparing images from each procedure, identical images were obtained. Of the eight cases, four cases had coractation of the aorta; absence pulmonary valve syndrome and total anomalous pulmonary venous return. Operation was performed and operative findings were identical to images from spiral CT and three-dimensional image reconstruction.
CONCLUSION
It is possible to introduce spiral CT and three-dimensional image reconstruction methods for the diagnosis of congenital cardiovascular diseases.