Non-Contrast and Contrast-Enhanced Cardiac Computed Tomography Imaging in the Diagnostic and Prognostic Evaluation of Coronary Artery Disease.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review without systematic methodology or original data synthesis
PubMed 37370969 · doi:10.3390/diagnostics13122074
What was done
This is a narrative review describing the clinical roles of non-contrast and contrast-enhanced cardiac computed tomography (CT) in coronary artery disease (CAD). The authors describe the diagnostic and prognostic applications of coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring, coronary CT angiography (CCTA), fractional flow reserve derived from CT, perfusion imaging, plaque morphology assessment, and perivascular adipose tissue attenuation.
What was found
The abstract provides a qualitative summary of clinical applications and gives no quantitative results, statistical estimates, or diagnostic accuracy metrics. It reports that non-contrast CAC scoring is useful for risk refinement in low-to-intermediate risk individuals, while CCTA allows evaluation of luminal stenosis, hemodynamic significance, high-risk plaque features, and vascular inflammation.
Why it matters
This review outlines the clinical evolution of cardiac CT from basic anatomical luminal assessment to multi-parametric biological and hemodynamic profiling of coronary plaque vulnerability.
Limits
The abstract describes a narrative review with no primary data, systematic search strategy, or meta-analytic pooling. No sample size, diagnostic accuracy statistics (such as sensitivity or specificity), or study inclusion criteria are provided.
Cited by
- supports Cardiac imaging scans can simultaneously assess both myocardial perfusion and plaque characterization to identify plaque type.