New horizons in cardiac CT.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review of cardiac CT technologies without systematic methodology
PubMed 26932775 · doi:10.1016/j.crad.2016.01.022
What was done
This narrative review summarizes technological developments in cardiovascular computed tomography angiography (CCTA), covering dose-reduction techniques (tube current modulation, automatic tube potential selection, prospective ECG-triggering, and iterative reconstruction), CT-derived fractional flow reserve (FFR), dual-energy CT, and photon-counting CT.
What was found
Hardware and software optimizations reduce CCTA radiation exposure by approximately one order of magnitude, often to sub-millisievert dose levels. Computational advancements allow non-invasive measurement of fractional flow reserve from CCTA data. Dual-energy CT reduces beam hardening, aiding assessment in patients with high calcium burden and improving myocardial perfusion imaging. Photon-counting CT offers potential for further dose reduction, higher spatial resolution, and new contrast agents. The abstract provides no specific numerical diagnostic accuracy statistics or sample sizes.
Why it matters
It summarizes the transition of cardiac CT from a high-radiation anatomical scan to a low-dose, functional imaging modality capable of assessing hemodynamic significance and tissue properties.
Limits
This is a narrative review presenting no original empirical data, sample size, or systematic search methodology. Quantitative diagnostic performance metrics, clinical outcomes, costs, and availability constraints are not reported.
Cited by
- supports Coronary CT angiograms exposed patients to around 20 millisieverts of radiation 20 years ago, whereas modern CTAs deliver less than 1 millisievert.