New technology for noninvasive evaluation of coronary artery disease

Innovations in noninvasive cardiovascular imaging are rapidly advancing our ability to image in great detail the structure and function of the heart and vasculature. Cardiac CT and hybrid PET/CT are clear examples of this innovation. Multidetector cardiac CT now allows rapid, detailed imaging of the coronary arteries and other vascular beds, with quantitative assessments of plaque burden and morphology. By providing concurrent quantitative information about myocardial blood flow and metabolism with coronary and cardiac anatomy, PET/CT offers the opportunity for a comprehensive noninvasive evaluation of the consequences of atherosclerosis in the coronary arteries and myocardium. This integrated platform for assessing anatomy and biology offers great potential for translating advances in molecularly targeted imaging into humans. The goals of future investigation will be to refine these technologies, establish standard protocols for image acquisition and interpretation, address the issue of cost-effectiveness, and validate a range of clinical applications in large-scale clinical trials. © 2007 American Heart Association, Inc.