Advances in imaging protocols for cardiac MDCT: from 16- to 64-row multidetector computed tomography.
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the Western world. Since the majority of all invasive diagnostic coronary angiography procedures are not followed by therapeutic interventions, interest is growing in noninvasive technologies to diagnose and visualize CAD. The most promising of these is multislice spiral computed tomography (MSCT), which can visualize human coronary arteries in vivo noninvasively. Since 1999, this technique has improved rapidly, offering faster gantry rotation times and smaller voxel sizes. The image quality has become significantly more stable and MSCT has become a robust imaging modality. Beginning with 4-slice scanners in 1999, the latest scanner generation employs 64 slices. The present article summarizes the technical principles, image protocols and possible clinical applications of the current 64-row scanners.
Kopp
Andreas F
AF
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Eberhard-Karls, University Tuebingen, Hoppe-Seyler-Str. 3, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany. andreas.kopp@uni-tuebingen.de
Heuschmid
Martin
M
Reimann
Anja
A
Kuettner
Axel
A
Beck
Thorsten
T
Burgstahler
Christoph
C
Brodoefel
Harald
H
Claussen
Claus D
CD
Schroeder
Stephen
S
D003287:Contrast Media; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends
D003287:Contrast Media