Selective Referral Using CCTA Versus Direct Referral for Individuals Referred to Invasive Coronary Angiography for Suspected CAD: A Randomized, Controlled, Open-Label Trial.

Objectives: This study compared the safety and diagnostic yield of a selective referral strategy using coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) compared with a direct referral strategy using invasive coronary angiography (ICA) as the index procedure.

Background: Among patients presenting with signs and symptoms suggestive of coronary artery disease (CAD), a sizeable proportion who are referred to ICA do not have a significant, obstructive stenosis.

Methods: In a multinational, randomized clinical trial of patients referred to ICA for nonemergent indications, a selective referral strategy was compared with a direct referral strategy.

Diagnostic Performance of a Novel Coronary CT Angiography Algorithm: Prospective Multicenter Validation of an Intracycle CT Motion Correction Algorithm for Diagnostic Accuracy.

Objective: Motion artifact can reduce the diagnostic accuracy of coronary CT angiography (CCTA) for coronary artery disease (CAD). The purpose of this study was to compare the diagnostic performance of an algorithm dedicated to correcting coronary motion artifact with the performance of standard reconstruction methods in a prospective international multicenter study.

Subjects And Methods: Patients referred for clinically indicated invasive coronary angiography (ICA) for suspected CAD prospectively underwent an investigational CCTA examination free from heart rate-lowering medications before they underwent ICA.

Block selective redaction for minimizing loss during de-identification of burned in text in irreversibly compressed JPEG medical images.

Deidentification of medical images requires attention to both header information as well as the pixel data itself, in which burned-in text may be present. If the pixel data to be deidentified is stored in a compressed form, traditionally it is decompressed, identifying text is redacted, and if necessary, pixel data are recompressed. Decompression without recompression may result in images of excessive or intractable size.

Coronary CT angiography versus standard of care strategies to evaluate patients with potential coronary artery disease; effect on long term clinical outcomes.

Background: Previous studies have shown that computed tomography coronary angiography (CTA) in patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) predicts short term adverse events. However, there is no current data on whether identifying atherosclerosis on CTA impacts outcomes. We performed a case-control study to assess whether information from CTA can improve outcomes.

Cardiologist concordance with the American College of Cardiology appropriate use criteria for cardiac testing in patients with coronary artery disease.

The American College of Cardiology Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) were developed to guide use of myocardial perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (MPS), stress echocardiography, and cardiac computed tomographic angiography (CCTA). To date, cardiologist application of AUC from a patient-based multiprocedure perspective has not been evaluated. A Web-based survey of 15 clinical vignettes spanning a wide spectrum of indications for MPS, STE, and CCTA in coronary artery disease was administered to cardiologists who rated the ordered test as appropriate, inappropriate, or uncertain by AUC application and suggested a preferred alternative imaging procedure, if any.

Helical prospective ECG-gating in cardiac computed tomography: radiation dose and image quality.

Helical prospective ECG-gating (pECG) may reduce radiation dose while maintaining the advantages of helical image acquisition for coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA). Aim of this study was to evaluate helical pECG-gating in CCTA in regards to radiation dose and image quality. 86 patients undergoing 64-multislice CCTA were enrolled.