Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To establish 3D models of coronary arteries (CA) and study their application in localization of CA segments identified by Transthoracic Echocardiography (TTE). METHODS: Sectional images of the heart collected from the first CVH dataset and contrast CT data were used to establish 3D models of the CA. Virtual dissection was performed on the 3D models to simulate the conventional sections of TTE. Then, we used 2D ultrasound, speckle tracking imaging (STI), and 2D ultrasound plus 3D CA models to diagnose 170 patients and compare the results to coronary angiography (CAG). RESULTS: 3D models of CA distinctly displayed both 3D structure and 2D sections of CA. This simulated TTE imaging in any plane and showed the CA segments that corresponded to 17 myocardial segments identified by TTE. The localization accuracy showed a significant difference between 2D ultrasound and 2D ultrasound plus 3D CA model in the severe stenosis group (P < 0.05) and in the mild-to-moderate stenosis group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These innovative modeling techniques help clinicians identify the CA segments that correspond to myocardial segments typically shown in TTE sectional images, thereby increasing the accuracy of the TTE-based diagnosis of CHD.