What is Cardiac CT?
A Computed Tomography (CT) Scan is a type of X-ray that uses a computer to make cross-sectional images of your body (Fig 1). Cardiac CT provides detailed information about the anatomy of the heart and the aorta.
What is a CT Coronary Artery Calcium Scan?
CT Coronary artery calcium scans show calcification which may be associated with hardened plaque build-up in the coronary arteries. This allows your doctor to estimate the risk of future heart attacks.
What is Coronary CT Angiography (CCTA)?
Coronary CT Angiography (CCTA) is an advanced noninvasive imaging procedure that combines a CT scan with an injection of a special dye called contrast material to produce pictures of your heart and its coronary arteries.
How is CCTA performed?
You will lie on a bed that slides into a doughnut-shaped CT Scanner. The special dye is injected through an intravenous (IV) line in your arm whilst your chest is viewed by the CT scanner. The dye injected to perform CT angiography is called a contrast material because it “lights up” blood vessels and tissues that are being studied providing advanced imaging with detailed anatomical information of the heart and coronary arteries (Fig 3).
Fig 1: CT Scan
Fig 2: Patient in CT Scanner
Fig 3: Coronary CT Angiography (CCTA)
