Coronary artery disease: Improved reproducibility of calcium scoring with an electron-beam CT volumetric method

PURPOSE: To assess the variability and reproducibility of a volumetric calcium score with electron-beam computed tomographic (CT) scans of coronary arteries. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two sets of electron-beam CT scans were obtained in patients with coronary calcification (group A) or known risk factors coronary arterial disease (group B). The second set of scans was obtained after a brief interval (group A, n = 52) or after 1 year with no risk modification (group B, n = 27). Traditional (plaque area and attenuation) and volumetric calcium scores were calculated for each patient and lesion. RESULTS: the median percentage change for individual lesions in group A was 13% for the volumetric and 19% for for traditional score, the Overall reduction in error with the volumetric core (P < .001). The median percentage change for group A patient totals 90% for the volumetric and 1% for the traditional score (P < .001). In group B patients, the median volumetric score increased by 44% after 1 year. CONCLUSION: The volumetric score showed better reproducibility than the traditional score, and its variability was considerably less than the score increase in untreated patients after 1 year. The reproducibility of the volumetric method makes for assessing the progression of coronary arterial disease on serial electron-beam CT studies.