Farhan Ahmed, Zishan Haider, Ishtiaq Chishti, Zafar Jameel, Dawar Burhan.
Non coronary findings on contrast enhanced cardiac MDCT.
Pak J Radiol Nov ;18(1):1-4.

Introduction : Cardiac Computed Tomography angiography (CTA) is commonly performed for suspected coronary artery disease. Obtained images also show lungs and upper abdomen besides cardiac and coronary sections. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the incidence of non coronary findings on contrast-enhanced cardiac multidetector computed tomography (MDCT). Patients and Method : CTA was performed in 92 patients, most of them were suspected to have coronary artery disease and in some patients with known co-morbid and high risk factors, CTA was performed as a screening method for detection of coronary artery disease. Cardiac CTA was performed on a 64-MDCT scanner with ECG-gating and bolus timing. Two radiologists assessed each examination in consensus. The findings were judged and categorized in two groups according to their clinical significance. Those findings which require therapeutic intervention or radiologic follow-up were judged potentially significant. Results : In this study, 10 patients (11%) had at least one unsuspected non coronary, potentially significant finding including pulmonary edema, pneumonia and mesenteric inflammation, gallstones, renal calculi and solitary pulmonary nodule. 28 patients (30%) had one or more insignificant non coronary findings detected on these scan. Conclusion : Clinically significant non coronary, non cardiac findings can be seen in cardiac MDCT if adequate chest coverage was obtained during cardiac scan, either by using large field of view or repeating low dose CT chest following cardiac CT, but latter carries risk associated with high radiation exposure which has to be justified against clinical benefit.

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