Cardiac Computed Tomography

Excerpt

Cardiac computed tomography (CCT) is an innovative, cost-effective, and noninvasive method of objectively evaluating the heart from an anatomical standpoint. When discussing CCTs, one must first appreciate the nomenclature, as multiple terms are used synonymously, including "coronary computed tomography," "cardiac computed tomography," "coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA)," "cardiac computed tomography angiography," and "multidetector computed tomography." This activity differentiates between non–contrast-enhanced CCT, denoted as "CCT," and contrast-enhanced CCT, also called "cardiac (or coronary) computed tomography angiography," denoted as "CCTA." This activity predominantly focuses on CCT while discussing some major aspects of CCTA. More detailed training on the latter can be found separately.

CCT offers a 3-dimensional approach to cardiac diagnostics, helping clinicians assess the severity of coronary arterial disease (CAD) by determining the extent of atherosclerotic plaques. A 64-slice system aligned with the cardiac cycle provides high-quality spatial and temporal resolution images despite cardiac activity. The significance of CCT lies within its prognostic utility as a fast, noninvasive risk stratification tool. This activity discusses the utility of this approach by elaborating on the coronary artery calcification (CAC) score with an emphasis on different risk stratification tools.