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Identifying Coronary Artery Calcification on Non-gated Computed Tomography Scans
Published on: August 28, 2018
Coronary anomalies encountered in the acute setting: an imaging review
Waqas Shuaib1, Chesnal Arepalli, Arvind Vijayasarathi
1Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University Hospital, Atlanta, GA, USA, Waqas.shuaib@emory.edu.
Insights
Congenital coronary artery anomalies, often found incidentally on CT scans, can rarely cause serious cardiac events. This review clarifies their types, imaging, and clinical significance for healthcare providers.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Imaging
- Radiology
- Congenital Heart Disease
Background:
- Congenital coronary anomalies are a diverse group of conditions affecting the heart's blood supply.
- While most are benign, a subset poses significant risks, including myocardial infarction and arrhythmias.
- These anomalies are frequently detected during computed tomography (CT) scans, either incidentally or during specific cardiac evaluations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To illustrate the varied spectrum of congenital coronary anomalies.
- To improve clinician understanding of imaging classifications for these anomalies.
- To highlight the clinical implications and potential patient impact of coronary anomalies.
Main Methods:
- This is a pictorial review, emphasizing visual representation of coronary anomalies.
- Utilizes computed tomography (CT) and coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) findings.
- Focuses on diagnostic workup and imaging classifications.
Main Results:
- Demonstrates a wide range of congenital coronary anomalies.
- Highlights incidental findings on CT and targeted CCTA evaluations.
- Correlates imaging features with potential clinical presentations.
Conclusions:
- Congenital coronary anomalies require careful recognition on cardiac imaging.
- Understanding imaging classifications is crucial for appropriate clinical management.
- Early identification can mitigate risks associated with potentially life-threatening anomalies.
Abstract:
A broad spectrum of congenital coronary anomalies may be discovered on imaging and sometimes in the emergency setting on computed tomography (CT). Most coronary artery anomalies are of academic interest; however, a minority can cause morbidity and mortality and symptoms such as angina, myocardial infarction, or arrhythmias. These anomalies are usually discovered as an incidental finding on CT examinations as part of the diagnostic workup for other pathology or on dedicated coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) as part of the evaluation for a coronary cause of chest pain. The purpose of this pictorial review is to demonstrate the types of coronary anomalies and to enhance the clinicians' understanding of the imaging classifications and clinical implications.
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Definition and Purpose
An X-ray, or radiograph, is a non-invasive method that uses ionizing radiation to take images of internal structures. It is mainly used in cardiac imaging to examine the heart, lungs, and major blood vessels, aiming to identify abnormalities in the heart's size, shape, and position, such as heart failure, congenital defects, and vascular...