Imaging of the heart with computed tomography

Basic Res Cardiol. 2008 Mar;103(2):161-73. doi: 10.1007/s00395-008-0699-y.

Abstract

Imaging of the heart with computed tomography (CT) was already introduced in the 1980Is and has meanwhile entered clinical routine as a consequence of the rapid evolution of CT technology during the last decade. In this review article, we give an overview on the technology and clinical performance of different CT-scanner generations used for cardiac imaging, such as Electron Beam CT (EBCT), single-slice CT und multi-detector row CT (MDCT) with 4, 16 and 64 simultaneously acquired slices. We identify the limitations of current CT-scanners, indicate potential of improvement and discuss alternative system concepts such as CT with area detectors and dual source CT (DSCT).

Publication types

  • Historical Article
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Coronary Angiography* / history
  • Coronary Angiography* / instrumentation
  • Equipment Design
  • Heart / diagnostic imaging*
  • Heart Diseases / diagnostic imaging*
  • History, 20th Century
  • Humans
  • Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed* / history
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed* / instrumentation