Ultralow Iodine Dose Transarterial Catheter-Directed CT Angiography for Fenestrated Endovascular Aortic Repair Planning.

BACKGROUND: Preoperative planning for fenestrated endovascular aortic repair (fEVAR) requires high-quality cross-sectional imaging, most commonly computed tomography angiography (CTA). However, in the setting of chronic kidney disease (CKD), the iodine load delivered during conventional CTA is associated with risk for acute kidney injury (AKI). In this report, we describe the feasibility of using transarterial catheter directed CT angiography (tcd-CTA) with ultralow-dose iodine as an alternative for fEVAR planning in patients with stage 3-4 CKD to lower the risk of AKI.

METHODS: Preserum and postserum creatinine levels were retrospectively evaluated from 8 patients with stage 3-4 CKD who underwent tcd-CTA with 20 mL of Iohexol for fEVAR planning for the treatment of pararenal abdominal aortic aneurysms. The tcd-CTA images were evaluated by two vascular surgeons for adequacy for fEVAR planning and progression to fEVAR completion was recorded.

RESULTS: The mean serum creatinine before tcd-CTA was 2.1 ± .32 mg/dL, and the mean estimated glomerular filtration rate was 29.7 ± 6.31 mL/min/1.73 m(2). After tcd-CTA, the mean serum creatinine was 1.9 ± .25 mg/dL and the mean estimated glomerular filtration rate was 32.9 ± 5.12 mL/min/1.73 m(2). All 8 of the studies were determined to be adequate for fEVAR planning independently by two vascular surgeons. Six of the patients underwent successful fEVAR and 2 opted for watchful waiting.

CONCLUSIONS: tcd-CTA with ultralow-dose iodine is a feasible option for pre-fEVAR planning in patients with stage 3-4 CKD.