CT Coronary Angiogram
Daniel Lee Kulick, MD, FACC, FSCAI
Dr. Kulick received his undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Southern California, School of Medicine. He performed his residency in internal medicine at the Harbor-University of California Los Angeles Medical Center and a fellowship in the section of cardiology at the Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center. He is board certified in Internal Medicine and Cardiology.
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.
What is a CT coronary angiogram?
A new test is available to diagnose coronary artery disease. In the past, noninvasive functional tests of the heart were used, such as treadmill tests and nuclear studies, to indirectly assess if there were blockages in the coronary arteries. The only way to directly look at the coronary arteries was via a cardiac catheterization and coronary angiogram.
CT scans have been used to look at various anatomic regions, but have not been useful for the heart because the heart is continuously in motion. CT is very effective in looking at "static" areas, such as the brain, abdominal cavity, and extremities. Most early CT scanners take 1-8 pictures (slices) a minute, much slower than the rate of the heart. Just as taking a picture of a moving object with a camera results in a blurry picture, conventional CT scans of the heart are not helpful. A new generation of CT scanners which can take 64 pictures a minute is now available; with the use of a little medication to slow the heart rate to less than 64, CT images of the coronary arteries are now possible.
http://www.medicinenet.com/ct_coronary_angiogram/article.htm
Heart Health
Get the latest treatment options.
Updated & New
