[Dynamic cardiovascular studies with electron beam computed tomography]

Electron Beam CT (EBCT) is still emerging as a new functional imaging procedure in providing high morphological studies and dynamic quantitative functional data. Morphological EBCT studies have previously proven their usefulness in pathologic conditions of the thoracic aorta, in congenital diseases, in cardiac masses or tumors... Functional studies achieved using cine mode and/or flow mode are used to assess both mobility and perfusion of structures. Such dynamic analysis have confirmed that their applications will have a major impact on the knowledge of cardiac physiology, the understanding of cardiovascular diseases, if not in daily patient care. For instance, in studies on ventricular function, among the imaging modalities in current use, EBCT is probably most accurate for the evaluation of systolic regional or global function. EBCT is a cross-sectional imaging methods which overcome an important limitation shared by most other imaging modalities, namely the superimposition of overlapping cardiac and thoracic structures. Since in the method high spatial, contrast, and temporal resolution tomography displays the myocardial wall itself, an accurate delineating of endocardial and epicardial contours in contiguous levels can be obtained. Further developments in computer-automated analysis from dynamic EBCT studies have to be carried out to gain clinical acceptance and to facilitate the routine.