Dual phase multidetector computed tomography angiography in evaluation of pulmonary arteries and collateral vessels in children with cyanotic congenital heart diseases

Background

The purpose of this paper is to compare the efficacy of dual-phase multidetector computed tomography angiography (CTA) with transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) and cardiac catheterization angiography (CCA) in evaluation of pulmonary arteries and collateral vessels, major aortopulmonary collateral arteries (MAPCAs) in children with cyanotic congenital heart diseases.

Methods

The study was a prospective observational study where 32 pediatric patients (18 males, 14 females and age range 2–116 months) with cyanotic congenital heart diseases (CCHD) were included. All patients underwent TTE, CTA, and CCA. The findings of CTA in evaluation of pulmonary arteries and MAPCAs were compared with TTE and correlated with CCA findings.

Results

All CTA studies were adequate except in one (3.1%) case in which main pulmonary artery and left pulmonary artery were not visualized on any of the three modalities. Right pulmonary artery anatomy was not clear or not demonstrated in four cases (12.6%) on CCA, whereas CTA was able to demonstrate pulmonary arteries in these cases. TTE was inadequate in 11 cases (34.3 %) in which one or more pulmonary artery was not clearly visualized. In cases with good pulmonary artery diameter (corresponding to Z score between 1 to 2) statistically significant (P < 0.001) correlation was found between pulmonary artery diameters, McGoon ratio, Nakata index, and Z-scores calculated for pulmonary arteries on all three modalities. There was concordance between CTA and CCA in assessment of MAPCAs and patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), whereas TTE failed to demonstrate MAPCAs in six cases (18.8%).

Conclusion

CTA was found to be superior to TTE and CCA for the assessment of pulmonary arteries and MAPCAs. CTA is also superior to TTE in the detection of extracardiac anomalies.