CT ANGIOGRAPHY WITH SPIRAL CT AND MAXIMUM INTENSITY PROJECTION

The authors describe a technique for obtaining angiographic images by means of spiral computed tomography (CT), preprocessing of reconstructed three-dimensional sections to suppress bone, and maximum intensity projection. The technique has some limitations, but preliminary results in 48 patients have shown excellent anatomic correlation with conventional angiography in studies of the abdomen, the circle of Willis in the brain, and the extracranial carotid arteries. With continued development and evaluation, CT angiography may prove useful as a screening tool or replacement for conventional angiography in some patients.