Computed Tomography

Cardiac computed tomography (CT) has become a primary cardiovascular imaging modality in the past 20 years, and was recommended as a 1A recommendation in the 2021 chest pain assessment guidelines. CT calcium scoring has became a primary risk assessment for coronary artery disease and whether patients should be on statins. Coronary CT angiography (CCTA) is used to for anatomical assessment of the arteries for plaque burden and to identify areas of blockage that may cause ischemia and heart attacks. Additional use of contrast CT perfusion or fractional flow reserve CT (FFR-CT) can offer physiological information on the function of the heart. CT plays a primary role in structural heart assessments for heart valves, repair of congenital defects and left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) for both pre-procedure planning and procedural guidance. Find more news on general radiology CT use.

subtraction coronary CT angiography

Subtraction boosts CCTA accuracy, even in the presence of extensive calcium

Researchers recently found results yielded via subtraction CCTA to be similar to those produced by ICA in assessing stenosis grading.

January 11, 2023
A CT coronary calcium scoring exam at Northwestern Medicine's Central DuPage Hospital in the Chicago Suburbs. Dave Fornell

Trends in the number of radiology studies and a decline in radiation dose

A special report in Radiology offers a rare overview of the number of radiology exams performed each year worldwide and focuses on the decline of associated radiation doses patients receive.

December 19, 2022
A stack deep silicon photon counting CT detector components. The University of Wisconsin is working with GE Healthcare to develop the new PCD technology. The system and the deep silicon technology was unveiled at RSNA 2022. #RSNA22 #PCCT

VIDEO: Photon-counting CT development at the University of Wisconsin

Tim Szczykutowicz, PhD, DABR, associate professor of radiology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is helping develop a new type of photon-counting CT detector that was shown as a work-in-progress by GE Healthcare at RSNA 2022.

December 13, 2022
Hisashi Tachizaki, Canon’s current senior VP and chief marketing executive. #RSNA22 He will be heading the U.S. based company as its president and CEO.

Canon to open new subsidiary, Canon Healthcare USA, in Cleveland

“The U.S. market is more and more important for our business,” the company's president and CEO said during a press conference at RSNA 2022. 

November 29, 2022
James Udelson, MD, from Tufts and an investiogator in the PRECISE trial, explains how FFR-CT combined with coronary CT outperformed the standard of care in patients with stable chest pain, or low-risk patients with suspected coronary involvement.

VIDEO: PRECISE trial shows cardiac CT with FFR-CT significantly improves patient outcomes

James Udelson, MD, an investigator involved with the PRECISE trial, explained how patient outcomes were improved by 70% from the current standard of care.

November 8, 2022
A spectral CT image of the heart showing ischemia in the myocardium by mapping the iodine density in the tissues as a surrogate for bloodflow. Example is from Philips Healthcare, displayed at the 2022 ACC meeting. Example of cardiac perfusion imaging. #SCCT

VIDEO: The many benefits of spectral CT for cardiovascular imaging

Suhny Abbara, MD, editor of Radiology: Cardiothoracic Imaging and chief of cardiothoracic imaging for University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, discusses how spectral computed tomography (CT) can help both cardiac and general CT imaging.

November 8, 2022
Ed Nicol, MD, MBA, FSCCT, consultant cardiologist, honorary senior clinical lecturer, Kings College London, and president-elect of the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT), discusses what he sees as the big technology advances in cardiac CT. #SCCT #SCCT22 #RSNA22

VIDEO: New cardiac CT advances to watch

Ed Nicol, MD, MBA, president-elect of the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography, discusses what he sees as the big technology advances in cardiac CT.

October 28, 2022
Leslee Shaw, PhD, MSCCT, FACC, MASNC, FAHA, director of the Blavatnik Family Women's Health Research Institute, a professor of medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and a former president of both SCCT and ASNC. She explains the sex differences in cardiovascular imaging presentations in women versus men.

VIDEO: CT can play a role in identifying women's differences in cardiovascular presentations

Leslee Shaw, PhD, director of the Blavatnik Family Women's Health Research Institute, a professor of medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and a former president of both SCCT and ASNC, explains the sex differences in cardiovascular imaging presentations in women versus men. 

October 27, 2022

Around the web

Automated AI-generated measurements combined with annotated CT images can improve treatment planning and help referring physicians and patients better understand their disease, explained Sarah Jane Rinehart, MD, director of cardiac imaging with Charleston Area Medical Center.

Two advanced algorithms—one for CAC scores and another for segmenting cardiac chamber volumes—outperformed radiologists when assessing low-dose chest CT scans. 

"Gen AI can help tackle repetitive tasks and provide insights into massive datasets, saving valuable time," Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud, said Tuesday. 

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