Bangkok Nursing Home (BNH) Hospital is proud to operate a 64 slice CT scanner, which rotates as fast as 330 ms allowing us to reliably visualize the coronary arteries and the beating heart with high spatial and temporal resolution available today. We also have trained radiologists with extensive experience with 64 slice cardiac CT imaging.
Clinical Indications for Cardiac CT
- Exclusion of coronary artery disease in the low to intermediate risk patient – It is the best test that is now available with a negative predictive value approaching 100%. It can visualize early disease before it is detectable on cardiac catheterization. It may be used to clear patients for surgery instead of stress testing. Screening is controversial and not supported by peer reviewed literature.
- Evaluation for cardiac / pericardial anatomic abnormalities including masses, thrombus, etc.
- Triple rule out study for the following threee conditions associated with chest pain : coronary artery stenosis, aortic dissection and pulmonary embolism. The 64 slice CT canalso be used to evaluate for other causes of chest pain including MSK pathology.
- Evaluation of the status of bypass grafts and stents – are they open? CT may not be able to fully assess in stent stenosis and grafts with metal clip artifacts.
- Evaluate of heart wall motion and valve function.
- Detect anomalies including myocardial bridging.
So how does 64 slice CT stack up to existing technology?
Advantages:
1. Quick and non-invasive
2. Three-dimensional modality and is not limited to any particular two-dimensional projections/slice orientation. Can fully assess structures in any plane and offers volumetric information on vessel stenosis and other structures such as cardiac chambers.
3. Can give accurate and unique information of the coronary arteries including narrowing, type and degree of plaque. This may allow more accurate diagnosis and better treatment planning.
4. It is the most sensitive test in detection of coronary artery disease other than intra-vascular ultrasound (IVUS), which requires invasive catheterization of each vessel to its periphery with all of its inherent risks. CTA can non-invasively exclude coronary artery disease.
5. Can also simultaneously visualize the pulmonary and systemic arteries of the chest, thereby excluding other dangerous causes of chest pain including pulmonary embolism and aortic dissection. This is otherwise known as a triple rule out study.
6. Can give accurate information of other structures in the chest, which cannot be otherwise visualized by any other modality such as lung and bony tissue.
7. It is now a 4D modality and can give accurate information of cardiac muscle and valve function and is not limited in visualization or as operator dependent as echocardiography is.
For more information, please contact BNH Imaging Centre, BNH Hospital
Tel. 02-686-2700 ext. 1114-1115 , 1119 Fax. 02-632-0579
For our CTA Colonary