[Computer tomographic diagnosis of cardiac, pericardial and paracardial space occupying lesions]

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Imaging
• Radiology
• Diagnostic Medicine

Background:

• Accurate diagnosis of cardiac masses and related conditions is crucial for patient management.
• Computed tomography (CT) and electrocardiography (ECG) are common diagnostic tools for cardiac conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the radiodiagnostic signs of myocardial, pericardial, and paracardial space-occupying processes using CT of the heart.
• To compare CT findings with electrocardiographic data in patients with cardiac conditions.
• To determine the superiority of CT over echocardiography in specific cardiac diagnoses.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of pathological findings from 63 patients diagnosed via CT of the heart.
• Comparison of electrocardiographic findings from 46 patients with CT findings.
• Emphasis on the diagnostic capabilities of CT in evaluating cardiac and surrounding structures.

Main Results:

• CT effectively demonstrates radiodiagnostic signs of myocardial, pericardial, and paracardial space-occupying processes.
• No significant differences were observed between CT and ECG in diagnosing intramural and large intracavitary tumors.
• CT is preferred for the differential diagnosis of pericardial and paracardial tumors.
• CT is superior to echocardiography in diagnosing small intracavitary thrombi.

Conclusions:

• CT of the heart is a key imaging modality for diagnosing various cardiac and paracardial masses.
• CT offers advantages over echocardiography for specific diagnoses like small intracavitary thrombi.
• CT and ECG provide comparable results for certain intracardiac tumors, highlighting the utility of both methods.