Diagnostic Confidence of Run-Off CT-Angiography as the Primary Diagnostic Imaging Modality in Patients Presenting with Acute or Chronic Peripheral Arterial Disease

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the reliability of CT-angiography of the lower extremities (run-off CTA) to derive a treatment decision in patients with acute and chronic peripheral artery disease (PAD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: 314 patients referred for run-off CTA were includ-ed in this retrospective study. First, diagnostic confidence of run-off CTA to derive a treat-ment decision was assessed in an interdisciplinary vascular conference using a 2 point scale (sufficient or not sufficient diagnostic confidence) and compared with the image quality eval-uated by two readers in consensus in four different levels (abdominopelvic, thigh, calf, foot arteries). Second, reliability of treatment decision was verified in all patients undergoing re-vascularization therapy. RESULTS: Diagnostic confidence of run-off CTA to derive a treatment deci-sion was sufficient in all patients with acute and in 97% of patients (215/221) with chronic PAD, whereas the rate of run-off CTA with non-diagnostic image quality was considerably higher in the calf and foot level (acute vs. chronic; calf: 28% vs.17%; foot: 52% vs. 20%). Reliability of treatment decision was superior for patients with chronic (123/133 = 92%) than for patients with acute PAD (64/78 = 82%, P = 0.02). CONCLUSION: Run-off CTA is a reliable imaging modality for primary diag-nostic work-up of patients with acute and chronic PAD.