Value of Myocardial Perfusion Assessment With Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography in Patients With Recent Acute-Onset Chest Pain.

Objectives: The authors sought to perform a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the clinical efficacy of combined examination with coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) and computed tomography perfusion imaging (CTP) compared to coronary CTA alone.

Background: Stress myocardial CTP may increase diagnostic specificity when added to coronary CTA in patients suspected of having ischemic heart disease.

Methods: Patients recently hospitalized for acute-onset chest pain, who had acute coronary syndrome had been ruled out by normal electrocardiograms, normal troponin levels, and relief of symptoms, and who had a clinical indication for outpatient noninvasive testing, were screened for inclusion in the CATCH-2 (CArdiac cT in the treatment of acute CHest pain 2) trial (NCT02014311).