Computed Tomography

Cardiac computed tomography (CT) has become a primary cardiovascular imaging modality in the past 20 years, and was recommended as a 1A recommendation in the 2021 chest pain assessment guidelines. CT calcium scoring has became a primary risk assessment for coronary artery disease and whether patients should be on statins. Coronary CT angiography (CCTA) is used to for anatomical assessment of the arteries for plaque burden and to identify areas of blockage that may cause ischemia and heart attacks. Additional use of contrast CT perfusion or fractional flow reserve CT (FFR-CT) can offer physiological information on the function of the heart. CT plays a primary role in structural heart assessments for heart valves, repair of congenital defects and left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) for both pre-procedure planning and procedural guidance. Find more news on general radiology CT use.

New cardiac imaging strategy could reduce ICA, PCI rates

Radiologists with Massachusetts General Hospital found that the selective use of cardiac CT and AI-based CAD evaluations could make a significant impact on patient care. 

PHOTO GALLERY: Highlights from ACC.24 in Atlanta

ACC.24, the American College of Cardiology's annual meeting in Atlanta, featured the latest in cardiovascular research and technologies. Representatives from Cardiovascular Business were there in person to take in the excitement. 

First-in-human trial shows potential of guiding CABG with cardiac CT and AI—no ICA required

An independent heart team blinded to ICA results was able to deliver helpful guidance for CABG procedures for 99.1% of patients using just CCTA and FFRCT alone. This approach is safe and feasible, researchers wrote, and the next step is to gather additional data. 

Medicare drops AUC requirement for advanced imaging, ASNC celebrates

"This was an unneeded burden, which was solely adding to the administrative hassles of medicine," said American Society of Nuclear Cardiology President Larry Phillips.

artificial intelligence AI heart cardiology

Cardiologists see value in AI-based plaque assessments

Cardiologists were asked to develop a care strategy for CAD patients before and after using an FDA-approved AI tool to evaluate CT results. In two out of three cases, the AI influenced cardiologists to modify their original plan. 

artificial intelligence robot evaluates healthcare data

New data registry will track how AI-powered plaque assessments impact cardiologist decisions

HeartFlow hopes to gather real-world data from up to 10,000 patients with suspected CAD.

Avicenna.AI, a French artificial intelligence (AI) startup co-founded by a radiologist, has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for two new offerings designed to automatically identify cardiovascular findings in CT scans, CINA-iPE and CINA-ASPECTS.

Radiology AI company gains FDA clearance for new CT offerings focused on PE, stroke

The newly approved AI models are designed to improve the detection of pulmonary embolisms and strokes in patients who undergo CT scans.

Virtual reality (VR) can help cardiologists plan for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedures and predict the presence and severity of post-TAVR paravalvular leak (PVL), according to new research published in the Journal of Invasive Cardiology.[1]

VR before TAVR predicts paravalvular leak in high-risk patients

Performing virtual reality simulations before TAVR may help cardiologists anticipate when PVL could be an issue in patients with severe BAV AS.

Around the web

Eleven medical societies have signed on to a consensus statement aimed at standardizing imaging for suspected cardiovascular infections.

Kate Hanneman, MD, explains why many vendors and hospitals want to lower radiology's impact on the environment. "Taking steps to reduce the carbon footprint in healthcare isn’t just an opportunity," she said. "It’s also a responsibility."

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