Dual-source Computed Tomography for the Diagnosis of Patients with Congenital Heart Disease

  Objective  To evaluate the value of dual-source computed tomography (DSCT) in the diagnosis of congenital heart disease.

  Methods  Twenty patients aged 4 months to 53 years (mean age 19 years) with congenital heart disease underwent contrast-enhanced DSCT. The results were compared with those of echocardiography (ECHO) and confirmed by surgery.

  Results  Among the 20 patients, DSCT detected 59 of 63 (93.7%) anomalies that confirmed by surgery, and ECHO detected 55 of 63 (87.3%) (χ²=1.474, P=0.225). In the 41 intracardiac anomalies, DSCT was as sensitive as ECHO (both 90.2%, P=1.000). In the 9 heart-vessel conjunction deformities, no significant difference was found between the sensitivities of two modalities (100% vs. 88.9%, P > 0.05). In the 13 great vessel deformities, no significant difference was found between the sensitivities of two modalities (100% vs. 76.9%, P > 0.05).

  Conclusion  DSCT detects intra- and extra-cardiac anomalies with high sensitivity and has an important value in the diagnosis of congenital heart disease especially those with extra-cardiac anomoalies.