New automated system designed for the interpretation of coronary CT angiography

Apr 23 2009

A new automated system designed for the interpretation of coronary CT angiography (CCTA), helps radiologists determine which cases are high priority and should be read first, according to a study performed at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA.

The study included 100 CCTA studies submitted for evaluation using the new automated system (COR Analyzer II Software). "The software detected 10/13 patients with artery stenosis 50% or greater and correctly identified 59/80 patients with less than 50% artery stenosis," said Shaoxiong Zhang, MD, lead author of the study. The negative predictive value for the study population was high, 95%," said Dr. Zhang.

This new technology offers promising results for the diagnosis of stenosis in the major coronary arteries, although "more research needs to be done to further improve the accuracy of the software in identifying significant disease," said Dr. Zhang. "Study interpretation using the automated interpretation of CCTA studies will allow for shorter reading times in negative cases and reduced response times in positive cases," he said.

"In urban areas there are high demands to provide 24/7/365 day coverage and cardiac imaging may not be available during nights and weekends. Rural area, outpatient diagnostic centers may be lacking cardiac imaging experts. Preliminary study interpretation using the new rapid, automated interpretation system may potentially allow for better prioritization of cases for evaluation by the expert leader," said Dr. Zhang.