[Computed tomography or cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging for diagnosis of chronic coronary syndrome?]

Noninvasive imaging modalities are of central importance in the diagnosis of chronic coronary syndrome (CCS) in the current guidelines of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), while the role of primary invasive coronary angiography in this context is increasingly being questioned. This review provides a summary of the most important diagnostic strategies from the radiology perspective.

The diagnostic algorithm is guided by the pretest probability (PTP) for the presence of CCS, which can be estimated based on age, sex, and symptoms. It is important to note that PTP in the current guidelines has decreased significantly compared to older recommendations and this change has an impact on the selection of the most appropriate imaging technique.

In patients with low PTP (>5% and <15%) and without prediagnosed coronary artery disease (CAD), CCS can be safely ruled out with inconspicuous computed tomography angiogram (CTA) of the coronary vessels. In patients with increased PTP (>15%) or prediagnosed CAD, noninvasive functional imaging should be primarily used to detect ischemia.

The excellent sensitivity (89%), specificity (87%) and high prognostic relevance make stress perfusion cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging the functional method of first choice. Technical innovations and the use of artificial intelligence-based methods for image analysis could contribute to further improve its accuracy in the future.

Radiologists should be aware of the recommendations of the current guidelines and work towards the establishment of coronary CTA and stress perfusion CMR in clinical routine.