[Use of ultra-fast computerized tomography in diagnosis of coronary heart disease]

Ultrafast or electron beam tomography (EBT) permits acquisition of images in 50-100 ms. An artifact-reduced display of heart and vessel structures as well as calcifications can be achieved. Therefore, EBT can be used for the detection and quantification of coronary artery calcification. Thirty-two patients with known coronary artery disease (CAD) were studied by EBT with and without i.v. contrast enhancement and with conventional coronary angiography. Different scoring systems were applied in order to define the basis to compare the data. The results showed a high EBT sensitivity for detection of coronary artery stenosis of up to 94% but low specificity with a maximum of 75%, depending on the scoring system applied. With EBT, differentiation between significant CAD (> 75%) and low-grade CAD (0-75%) showed significant results. The scoring system is not yet completely satisfactory, and with the integration of other screening tests and continuous development of scoring systems, the significance and reliability of this method in evaluation of CAD are expected to increase.