Image quality and technical advances in cardiac CT agniography in 2014

Abstract

Cardiac-CT angiography has evolved from an academic research tool into a widely accepted examination for non-invasive evaluation of the heart and coronary arteries in a selected population. Despite its ongoing success and worldwide clinical implementation, it remains often-challenging procedure in which image quality, and hence diagnostic value, is determined by both technical and patient-related factors. Solid knowledge of these factors is an important to achieve high quality examinations and accurate diagnosis. We will discuss several key elements influencing image quality in cardiac-CT imaging, describing their origin as well as potential measures that can be taken to achieve an optimal final result. Furthermore, several recent vendor-specific supporting technologies to increase image quality in cardiac CT will also be discussed.