<unk>  is emerging as the imaging modality of choice to rule out significant coronary artery disease in patients with low pretest probablity of disease. Good negative predictive value of the test (Garcia et al., 2006) promises to obviate the need for cardiac catheterization in patients with atypical chest pain
The entire coronary tree can be examine in one breath hold
Temporal resolution is 100 ms allowing for almost motion free imaging in the diastolic phase
Spatial resolution is determined by the so called pitch=travel/x-ray beam width which currently ranges between 0.25-0.5 mm
64 slice/detector scanner can cover in a helical fashion 12.5 cm in 5 secs; new 256 detector MDCT will allow single beat aquisition thereby reducing any motion artifact and reducing the radiation dose
As the technology improves with new post-processing software MDCT may allow for non-invasive screening for in-stent restenosis, especially after left main stenting
CT angiography
Computed tomography angiography
Angiogram
Ventilation/perfusion scan
Magnetic resonance angiography
Venography
Lymphangiogram
Intravascular ultrasound