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CT Angiography is Cost‐Effective for Confirmation of Internal Carotid Artery Occlusions
Author(s) -
Brown Devin L.,
Hoffman Stuart N.,
Jacobs Teresa L.,
Gruis Kirsten L.,
Johnson Susan L.,
Chernew Michael E.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of neuroimaging
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.822
H-Index - 64
eISSN - 1552-6569
pISSN - 1051-2284
DOI - 10.1111/j.1552-6569.2007.00216.x
Subject(s) - medicine , angiography , occlusion , radiology , internal carotid artery , computed tomography angiography , catheter , cerebral angiography , ultrasound , surgery
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE While sensitive to internal carotid artery (ICA) occlusion, carotid ultrasound can produce false‐positive results. CT angiography (CTA) has a high specificity for ICA occlusion and is safer and cheaper than catheter angiography, although less accurate. We determined the cost‐effectiveness of CTA versus catheter angiography for confirming an ICA occlusion first suggested by carotid ultrasound.METHODS A Markov decision‐analytic model was constructed to estimate the cost‐effectiveness of CTA compared with catheter angiography in a hypothetical cohort of symptomatic patients with a screening examination consistent with an ICA occlusion. Costs in 2004 dollars were estimated from Medicare reimbursement. Effectiveness was measured in quality‐adjusted life years.RESULTS The 2‐year cost in the CTA scenario was $9,178, and for catheter angiography, $11,531, consistent with a $2,353 cost‐savings per person for CTA. CTA resulted in accrual of 1.83 quality‐adjusted life years while catheter angiography resulted in 1.82 quality‐adjusted life years. CTA was less costly and marginally more effective than catheter angiography. In sensitivity analyses, when CTA sensitivity and specificity were allowed to vary across a plausible range, CTA remained cost‐effective.CONCLUSIONS After screening examination has suggested an ICA occlusion, confirmatory testing with CTA provides similar effectiveness to catheter angiography and is less costly.