Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT)

The Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT) focuses on the advancement and expansion of cardiac CT. The society serves a membership split about evenly between radiologists and cardiologists. SCCT hosts educational events, advocates for CCTA for reimbursement and helps set guidelines for cardiac imaging. The news, videos and content on this page are created by our Innovate Healthcare editorial team and focus on the clinical, operational and financial aspects of cardiac CT.

Fat attenuation index (FAI) CT imaging of coronary artery fat can show inflammation and can help pin-point vulnerable plaques, or show the reversal of inflammation due to drug therapies. The technology is being developed by the vendor Caristo, which has European CE mark and the company is seeking FDA clearance. #SCCT #SCCT2022

VIDEO: New Technologies in Cardiac CT Imaging

Ron Blankstein, MD, Brigham and Women's Hospital, explains recent advances in coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) technology.

A cardiac CT scan being performed at Duly Healthcare in suburban Chicago in the spring of 2022. This is one of the first outpatient cardiology clinics in the U.S. to implement a CCTA program for screening non-acute chest pain patients and for structural heart evaluations. This applies to CCTA, CTA, Cardiac CT, and CT angiography and coronary CT angiography.

Cardiac CT now in the spotlight thanks to chest pain guidelines

With the elevation of cardiac CT to a 1A indication in the 2021 Chest Pain Guidelines, there has been a large amount of interest in starting coronary artery CT angiography (CCTA) programs.

VIDEO: 3 challenges for Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography members in 2023

Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT) President Brian Ghoshhajra, MD, detailed three challenges he is making to SCCT members in the coming year.

Ron Blankstein, MD, MSCCT, associate director, cardiovascular imaging program, director, cardiac computed tomography, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School, was a co-author on the ACC 2021 Chest Pain Guidelines,[1] which now lists coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA or CTA) as a 1A level recommendation for front line imaging. He gave an overview of the guidelines during the 2022 Society of Cardiovascular CT (SCCT) meeting in July. #SCCT2022

VIDEO: The role of cardiac CT in the 2021 chest pain guidelines

Ron Blankstein, MD, associate director of the cardiovascular imaging program and director of the cardiac computed tomography program for Brigham and Women's Hospital, was a co-author on the ACC 2021 Chest Pain Guidelines, which now lists coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA or CTA) as a 1A level recommendation for frontline imaging.

CT coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring, also known as the Agatston score, to assess the risk a patient has for future heart attacks and help decide if a patient requires statins.

VIDEO: Current guidelines for the use of CT calcium scoring in preventive cardiology

Mike Shapiro, DO, MD, director of the Center for Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease at Wake Forest University, discusses the current guidelines for computed tomography (CT) calcium scoring as a screening test to assess heart attack risk.

Examples of new cardiac CT technologies at the 2022 SCCT meeting. Top left clockwise, realistic 3D rendering inside the heart, the GE Revolution Apex scanner, Cleerly's AI automated soft plaque assessment, and CT strain imaging from Medis. #SCCT #SCCT2022 #YesCCT #CTA #CCTA, new computed tomography technology

PHOTO GALLERY: Cardiac CT advances at SCCT 2022

View a variety of images from the 2022 Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT) meeting in Las Vegas.

AI-generated coronary tree from a patient's CT scan showing a color code of areas of interest for plaque burden from the Cleerly software shown at SCCT 2022.

VIDEO: Why plaque composition CT imaging may be the future of cardiology

Former European Society of Cardiology president Prof. Jeroen Bax explains the difficulty in quantifying these plaques manually and how artificial intelligence may change this to allow rapid, detailed quantitative analysis.

Left, coronary CT angiography of a vessel showing plaque heavy calcium burden. Right, image showing color code of various types of plaque morphology showing the complexity of these lesions. The right image was processed using the FDA cleared, AI-enabled plaque assessment from Elucid.

Cardiac CT soft plaque assessment may offer paradigm shift for coronary disease screening

New artificial intelligence software that can evaluate coronary CT scans to automatically assess soft plaques were by far the biggest technology advance discussed at the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT) 2022 meeting.

VIDEO: Top 6 takeaways from the Society of Cardiovascular CT 2022 meeting

Eric Williamson, MD, MSCCT, the 2021-2022 president of the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT) and professor of radiology at Mayo Clinic, shared his key takeaways from the SCCT 2022 conference.

Examples of new plaque reporting in the CAD-RADS 2.0 document. Left, an example from CAD-RADS 2 / P2 plaque burden with mild coronary stenosis (25-49%). Right, example of a CAD-RADS 5/ P3, with a focal, non-calcified occlusion of the proximal RCA (arrow) and severe amount of plaque (P3). #CADRADS #YesCCT #CTA #CCTA

New CAD-RADS 2.0 reporting for coronary CTA offers patient management recommendations

The document includes updated classification to established a framework for stenosis, plaque burden and plaque modifiers, including assessment of CT-FFR or myocardial CT perfusion.

There have been a big increase in interest in cardiac CT following the publication of the 2021 ACC Chest Pain Evaluation Guidelines, which raised CT angiography (CTA) to a 1A level of evidence. This has prompted many centers to consider creating CTA programs. This is a cardiac patient being set up for a CCTA scan at Duly Health and Care in the Chicago suburbs. The healthcare group opened one of the first out-patient cardiac clinics in the country with a dedicated cardiac CT scanner.

VIDEO: Cardiac CT training requirements for radiologists and technologists

Brian Ghoshhajra, MD, division chief, cardiovascular imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, explains what specialized training is needed to perform coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) as interest rapidly rises in this field.

VIDEO: The new role of cardiac CT in chest pain evaluation

Brian Ghoshhajra, MD, MBA, division chief, cardiovascular imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and associate professor of radiology, Harvard Medical School, and a board member of the Society of cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT), explains the rapidly expanding interest in cardiac computed tomography (CT) under the new chest pain evaluation guidelines.

Around the web

Cardiovascular Business

Pre-procedure CT imaging benefits LAA occlusion in Henry Ford study

There is not agreement among the top structural heart experts if CT is required for left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO), but a Henry Ford Hospital study shows it can improve outcomes.

Cardiovascular Business

VIDEO: New Technologies in Cardiac CT Imaging

Ron Blankstein, MD, Brigham and Women's Hospital, explains recent advances in coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) technology.

Cardiovascular Business

Cardiac CT now in the spotlight thanks to chest pain guidelines

With the elevation of cardiac CT to a 1A indication in the 2021 Chest Pain Guidelines, there has been a large amount of interest in starting coronary artery CT angiography (CCTA) programs.