Optimal timing for first-pass stress CT myocardial perfusion imaging

CT-based myocardial perfusion imaging (CTP) has been shown to accurately detect myocardial perfusion defects when compared to SPECT. When performing single-phase first-pass stress CTP, timing is of major importance. The aim of this study was to provide guidance for optimal timing of single-phase first-pass stress CTP acquisitions. 16 patients (12 male, age, 69 ± 8 years) with known or suspected coronary artery disease underwent invasive coronary angiography with fractional flow reserve (FFR) measurements using a pressure wire as well as a time-resolved CTP protocol under adenosine stress, performed on a dual-Source CT scanner over a period of 30 s. From the CTP data, time-attenuation curves have been determined both in known ischemic myocardium with a corresponding coronary artery stenosis as proven by a FFR below 0.75 in invasive coronary angiography, as well as in non-ischemic reference myocardium during pharmacological stress. Furthermore, contrast enhancement in the ascending aorta was determined. The time point for an optimal contrast (i.e., difference in Hounsfield Units, HU) between ischemic and normal myocardium was determined. Under pharmacological stress using adenosine, a maximum mean HU difference between ischemic and non-ischemic myocardium (17.7–22.5 HU) was observed 24–32 s after injection of contrast medium. The maximal attenuation difference between normal and ischemic myocardium ranged from 15 to 77 HU in the analyzed patient cohort. When applying a bolus-tracking technique with an automatic contrast detection in the proximal ascending aorta, the optimal time frame for stress CTP was between 8 and 16 s after contrast enhancement in the aorta exceeds 100 HU, or between 7 and 15 s using a threshold of 150 HU. For first-pass CT myocardial perfusion imaging there is a time frame of approximately 8 s for optimal differentiation of ischemic and non-ischemic myocardium, which will be helpful to optimize single-phase CTP scans.