title: Cardiac CT angiography in children with congenital heart disease.
abstract: Cardiac imaging plays an important role in both congenital and acquired heart diseases. Cardiac computed tomography (angiography) cCT(A) is a non-invasive, increasingly popular, complementary modality to echocardiography in evaluation of congenital heart diseases (CHD) in children. Despite radiation exposure, cCT(A) is now commonly used for evaluation of the complex CHD, giving information of both intra-cardiac and extra-cardiac anatomy, coronary arteries, and vascular structures. This review article will focus on the fundamentals and essentials for performing cCT(A) in children, including radiation dose awareness, basic techniques, and strengths and weaknesses of cCT(A) compared with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI), and applications. The limitations of this modality will also be discussed, including the CHD for which cMRI may be substituted.
authors.affiliation: Division of Diagnostic Radiology, Department of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand. ssiripornpitak@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Suvipaporn
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Siripornpitak
authors.forename: Ratanaporn
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pornkul
authors.forename: Pongsak
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Khowsathit
authors.forename: Thanarat
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Layangool
authors.forename: Worakan
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Promphan
authors.forename: Boonchob
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pongpanich
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000379:methods*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods*