Postprocessing techniques for cardiac computed tomographic angiography

Careful protocol design is essential to successfully perform coronary computed tomographic (CT) angiography, from patient preparation, to gating, to contrast infusion, to data acquisition, to data reconstruction parameters. The emergence of newer generation scanners with even larger numbers of detector arrays and dual tubes has further improved dataset quality. However, it is only with tailored interpretation of these datasets that the true value of the newest scanners will be implemented. Unless the user becomes skilled at analyzing CT data, the full potential of new technology will be minimized. This article presents experience based guidance on postprocessing techniques, from axial review to two-dimensional renderings to three dimensional reconstructions, to optimize analysis of cardiac CT data.