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Optimizing Cardiac CTA Acquisition in Congenital Heart Disease

  • Cardiovascular Imaging (K Ordovas, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Radiology Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

The purpose of this review of performance of cardiac computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) in patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) is to describe a strategy for optimizing CCTA protocols for various forms of CHD at diagnosis and throughout the lifetime of a patient.

Recent Findings

Recent expert consensus statements provide key recommendations for patient selection and technical performance of CCTA with tips to optimize contrast injection, scan acquisition, and understanding anatomy and postoperative changes in patients with CHD. Spectral CT will become invaluable in acquiring image data which has potential for enabling improved image quality and perhaps physiologic information.

Summary

CCTA is an important non-invasive imaging modality for making initial diagnosis and providing follow-up imaging in patients of all ages with CHD. Optimization of imaging protocols requires combined expertise in all forms of CHD, surgical palliation procedures, and knowledge of surgical options for CHD surgery.

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Abbreviations

AAo:

Ascending aorta

ASD:

Atrial septal defect

AV:

Aortic valve

CCTA:

Cardiac computed tomographic angiography

CHD:

Congenital heart disease

DAo:

Descending aorta

DORV:

Double outlet right ventricle

HLHS:

Hypoplastic left heart syndrome

HRH:

Hypoplastic right heart

IVC:

Inferior vena cava

LA:

Left atrium

LCAPA:

Left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery

LPA:

Left pulmonary artery

LV:

Left ventricle

MAPCA:

Major aortopulmonary collateral arteries

MPA:

Main pulmonary artery

PA:

Pulmonary artery

PAPVC:

Partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection

PI:

Pulmonary valve insufficiency

PICC:

Peripherally inserted central catheter

PV:

Pulmonary valve

RA:

Right atrium

RCAPA:

Right coronary artery from the pulmonary artery

RPA:

Right pulmonary artery

RV:

Right ventricle

RVOT:

Right ventricular outflow tract

SVC:

Superior vena cava

TAPVC:

Total anomalous pulmonary venous connection

TGA:

Transposition of the great arteries dextro (d-TGA) levo (l-TGA)

TOF:

Tetralogy of Fallot

UVC:

Umbilical venous catheter

VSD:

Ventricular septal defect

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Phoenix, AZ, USA

    Dianna M. E. Bardo

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Correspondence to Dianna M. E. Bardo.

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Dianna M.E. Bardo reports honoraria from Koninklijke Philips Electronics, NV and royalties from Thieme Publishing and Springer Publishing.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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This article is part of the Topical collection on Cardiovascular Imaging.

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Bardo, D.M.E. Optimizing Cardiac CTA Acquisition in Congenital Heart Disease. Curr Radiol Rep 6, 35 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40134-018-0294-4

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