Coronary CT angiography.

Advances in multidetector CT (MDCT) technology with submillimeter slice collimation and high temporal resolution permit contrast-enhanced imaging of coronary arteries and coronary plaque during a single breath hold. Appropriate patient preparation, detailed technical and technological knowledge with regard to recognition of typical imaging artifacts (such as beam hardening or motion artifacts), and the adequate choice of postprocessing techniques to detect stenosis and plaque are prerequisites to achieving diagnostic image quality. A growing number of studies have suggested that 64-slice coronary CT angiography is highly accurate for the exclusion of significant coronary artery stenosis (>50% luminal narrowing), with negative predictive values of 97%-100%, in comparison with invasive selective coronary angiography. In addition, several studies have indicated that MDCT also can detect calcified and noncalcified coronary atherosclerotic plaques, especially in proximal vessel segments, showing a good correlation with intracoronary ultrasound. Studies on clinical utility, cost, and cost-effectiveness are now warranted to demonstrate whether and how this technique can change and improve the current management of patients with suspected or confirmed coronary artery disease.