Priceless clinical pearls in the performance of cardiac CT.

Cardiovascular CT represents an important innovation in cardiac imaging as a noninvasive modality for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease. As a screening examination, coronary CT has the ability to identify the presence, extent, location, and severity of coronary artery disease in patients at risk. As a diagnostic examination in patients with chest discomfort and dyspnea, it can not only evaluate for the presence of coronary artery disease but also evaluate the pulmonary vasculature and aorta. The ability to perform high-quality cardiac CT requires a combination of technical expertise and knowledge of cardiac anatomy. From our experience having performed over 6000 cardiac CTs, we provide the reader with a number of clinical and technical pearls that will enhance his or her ability to perform high-quality studies even in the more challenging patient.