Table 1 Vascular imaging quality score
| Â | Score | |||
Category | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Right coronary artery (RCA) | Ostium not seen | RCA ostium clear but remainder of vessel is not | RCA imaged clearly to acute margin | RCA imaged clearly to the inferior cardiac surface |
Left coronary artery (LCA) | Ostium not seen | LCA ostium clear but remainder of vessel is not | LCA bifurcation clear | Left anterior descending seen along anterior interventricular groove; left circumflex seen in left posterior atrioventricular groove |
Pulmonary arteries (PAs) | Branch PAs not clearly defined | Right pulmonary artery and left pulmonary artery seen | Able to identify right upper, right lower, left upper, and left lower PA | Able to identify segmental branches off of at least 2 of right upper, right lower, left upper, and left lower PA |
Pulmonary veins | No vein insertion to left atrium identifiable | 2 or more vein insertions clear | All 4 vein insertions clear | All 4 veins clearly seen branching |
Blood-pool homogeneity | Heterogeneity in a majority of structures | Heterogeneity in multiple chambers/vessels (e.g. left atrium and left ventricle) | Heterogeneity in single chamber/vessel (e.g. left atrium) | Homogeneous blood pool in all vascular structures |
Metal artifact | Non-diagnostic due to metal artifact | Large metal artifact, unable to read-through | Artifact outside the position of the metal, but able to read through | Artifact limited to metal position only |