image by: Mikael Häggström

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The History of CT Angiography

The power of contemporary CTA is seen in many ways. For the patient, a comprehensive angiographic study requires only intravenous contrast injection and 10 minutes to 15 minutes in the scanner. Scan times for even the most comprehensive study (brain-to-toes) is under 1 minute. When scanning is finished, the intravenous line is removed, and the patient can leave without observation. Of course, all risks related to invasive angiography are avoided, with the exception of intravenous contrast administration and radiation exposure.

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Articles of Interest

CT angiography, underuse, overuse, or appropriate use?

Recently, cardiologists have started serious debates over expensive medical technologies, questioning the conclusions that high-resolution cardiac CT images are almost as effective as conventional angiograms.

CT Angiography: Current Technology and Clinical Use

Recent advances in technology have moved CT to the front line for many vascular diseases, dramatically changing clinical evaluation pathways. Understanding CT technology is critical for optimizing protocols.

CT ‘safe alternative’ to coronary angiography for CAD diagnosis

In patients with stable chest pain and intermediate pretest probability of CAD, risk for major adverse CV events was similar after CT or invasive coronary angiography, with fewer procedure-related complications with an initial CT strategy.

Doubts Grow Over High-Tech CT Scans of Heart

There's more evidence this week that physicians shouldn't rush to use million-dollar scanners to look for heart disease. Doctors using 64-slice CT scans often identify blockages in the arteries around the heart when no blockages are actually present, a study of 360 patients found.That's a troubling sign for a test that costs hundreds of dollars and subjects the patient to a high dose of radiation.

Should I Get a Coronary CT Scan?

There are 2 different types of coronary CT scans: a coronary CT angiogram and a coronary artery calcium scan. Both tests take place inside a standard CT scan machine, but there are important differences between them.

Resources

RadiologyInfo.org

Computed tomography angiography (CTA) uses an injection of contrast material into your blood vessels and CT scanning to help diagnose and evaluate blood vessel disease or related conditions, such as aneurysms or blockages.