Characterizing the Heart and the Myocardium With Photon-Counting CT

Noninvasive cardiac imaging has rapidly evolved during the last decade owing to improvements in computed tomography (CT)-based technologies, among which we highlight the recent introduction of the first clinical photon-counting detector CT (PCD-CT) system. Multiple advantages of PCD-CT have been demonstrated, including increased spatial resolution, decreased electronic noise, and reduced radiation exposure, which may further improve diagnostics and may potentially impact existing management pathways. The benefits that can be obtained from the initial experiences with PCD-CT are promising. The implementation of this technology in cardiovascular imaging allows for the quantification of coronary calcium, myocardial extracellular volume, myocardial radiomics features, epicardial and pericoronary adipose tissue, and the qualitative assessment of coronary plaques and stents. This review aims to discuss these major applications of PCD-CT with a focus on cardiac and myocardial characterization.