Can the Coronary Artery Calcium Score Scan Reduce the Radiation Dose in Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography

Rationale and Objectives Radiation exposure from coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) remains a cause for concern. The objective of this study was to investigate whether using the coronary artery calcium score scan (CACS) would reduce the radiation dose for CCTA scanning and the overall radiation exposure (ORE). Materials and Methods In total, 256 patients were examined with a third-generation dual-source CT (n = 200) or 256-row CT (n = 56), among whom 105 (Group A) and 28 patients (Group B), respectively, underwent CCTA with CACS for field of view planning. The remaining patients, with the scout view for field of view planning, constituted Group A1 and B1. The scanning parameter settings were standardized between groups. Results Shorter scan lengths were observed in Group A (9.98 ± 0.79 cm) compared to Group A1 (13.64 ± 1.79 cm; p Conclusion CACS may have a critical role in the reduction of radiation dose in CCTA scanning, but the potential effectiveness of CACS in reducing ORE is weak.