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Objectives: In transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), assessment of the aortic annulus is mandatory. We sought to investigate the correlation between trans-oesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) for annulus diameter assessment before TAVI.Methods: A total of 122 patients (67 male, mean age 84 ± 6 years) underwent MDCT and TEE for TAVI planning. In TEE annulus diameters were obtained in a long-axis view at diastole. MDCT data were evaluated using MPR images, and corresponding projections were adjusted for MDCT and TEE. Patients were classified by the predominant localisation of aortic valve calcifications, and annulus diameters between TEE and MDCT were correlated. Additionally, the eccentricity of the aortic annulus was calculated.Results: Mean eccentricity of the aortic annulus determined by MDCT was 0.34 ± 0.17, with no difference according to valve calcification. Regarding the aortic annulus diameter, the mean values measured were 24.3 ± 2.1 mm in MDCT and 24.0 ± 2.5 mm in TEE (P < 0.0001 for agreement).Conclusions: Independent of the pattern of aortic valve calcification, close correlation is found between CT and TEE measurements of the aortic annulus diameter. In addition, CT demonstrates the non-circular shape of the aortic annulus.Key Points: Accurate assessment of aortic annulus before transcatheter aortic valve implantation is crucial. Trans-oesophageal echocardiography has been the preferred method for aortic annulus assessment. We demonstrated a strong correlation between TEE and CT for annulus dimensions. CT reliably demonstrates the non-circular shape of the aortic annulus. CT could therefore be generally used for aortic annulus assessment before TAVI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-detector CT reliably permits visualization of coronary arteries, but due to the occurrence of motion artefacts at heart rates >65 bpm caused by a temporal resolution of 165 ms, its utilisation has so far been limited to patients with a preferably low heart rate. We investigated the assessment of image quality on computed tomography of coronary arteries in a large series of patients without additional heart rate control using dual-source computed tomography (DSCT). DSCT (Siemens Somatom Definition, 83-ms temporal resolution) was performed in 165 consecutive patients (mean age 64 +/- 11.4 years) after injection of 60-80 ml of contrast. Data sets were reconstructed in 5% intervals of the cardiac cycle and evaluated by two readers in consensus concerning evaluability of the coronary arteries and presence of motion and beam-hardening artefacts using the AHA 16-segment coronary model. Mean heart rate during CT was 65 +/- 10.5 bpm; visualisation without artefacts was possible in 98.7% of 2,541 coronary segments. Only two segments were considered unevaluable due to cardiac motion; 30 segments were unassessable due to poor signal-to-noise ratio or coronary calcifications (both n = 15). Data reconstruction at 65-70% of the cardiac cycle provided for the best image quality. For heart rates >85 bpm, a systolic reconstruction at 45% revealed satisfactory results. Compared with earlier CT generations, DSCT provides for non-invasive coronary angiography with diagnostic image quality even at heart rates >65 bpm and thus may broaden the spectrum of patients that can be investigated non-invasively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]