Computed tomography of the heart: ECG-gated and continuous scans.

Cardiac computed tomography (cardiac CT) and echocardiography provide noninvasive diagnosis of cardiac lesions by direct demonstration of the myocardium and the individual cavities of the heart. Myocardial thickness, and the size and shape of heart cavities are easily demonstrated. In patients with coronary heart disease proved by levocardiography, cardiac CT gave a true negative rate of 82.3% (echocardiography 82.9%) and a true positive rate of 90.8% (echocardiography 82.7%). In the assessment of coronary bypass graft patency, cardiac CT was accurate in 89.6% of studies confirmed by angiography.