[Electron canon computed tomography. Technique and clinical applications in cardiac imaging]

Electron Beam CT (EBCT) was initially devoted to both dynamic and morphological cardiac studies. ECG gated slices acquired in 100 milliseconds produce cardiac images without motion artefacts. Intracavitary tumors and thrombus are clearly detected and EBCT contributes to the stagging and follow-up of masses. Exploration of congenital abnormalities such as pulmonary atresia can be performed even in newborns. EBCT allows the diagnosis of tiny modifications of coronary arteries, endocardium or pericardium. EBCT offers a new modality of cardiac imaging which gives complementary informations to other modalities.