Since the introduction of multislice computed tomography (MSCT) in 1998, non-invasive cardiac imaging has developed rapidly to become a robust method for morphological and functional imaging of the heart. The high temporal resolution and sub-millimetre spatial resolution of modern scanners result in an excellent morphological depiction of coronary arteries and bypass grafts. Recent studies of CT coronary angiography describe a sensitivity of up to 98% and a specificity of up to 91% over all coronary segments. Due to a high negative predictive value of 98–100%, CT coronary angiography is particularly suitable for non-invasive exclusion of coronary heart disease (CHD). Contrastenhanced CT of the heart also allows the assessment of the myocardium, heart valves and pulmonary veins, which can be simultaneously reconstructed from a 3D data set. This article describes the potential of cardiac diagnostics using MSCT, taking into account aspects of dosing and valid guidelines.
Non-invasive intravenous coronary angiography using electron beam tomography and multislice computed tomography
