Coronary Calcium Score Using Multi-Slice Computed Tomography

Abstract

Coronary atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease (CAD) are the most common causes of death and disability in the most of industrialized countries. The problem of early diagnosis of CAD detection is extremely relevant all over the world. Preclinical identification of patients with risk factors of CAD is one of the most important goal in routine clinical practice. Multislice computed tomography (MSCT) of the heart with the determination of the calcium index (CI) is a noninvasive screening of coronary arteries assessment. The severity of coronary calcification has a close relationship with the severity of coronary atherosclerosis and the risk of acute coronary events according to numerous studies. Initially, studies targeted on assessment of coronary calcification and determination of normative parameters were performed using electron-beam scanners (EBS). Subsequently multislice computed tomography (MSCT) replaced the electronic beam tomography (EBCT). The results of studies that performed with EBS have become the basis for a methodology of coronary calcification assessment with MSCT. The reproducibility of coronary calcium score is important for assessment of atherosclerosis for dynamic monitoring. The inter- observer and intra-observer reproducibility of this method is quite high, the reproducibility according to repeated studies of the same patient is lower. In recent years, a new generation of volumetric CT- scanners has been introduced into clinical practice. Reducing the radiation dose for coronary calcium screening to the minimum values (less than 1 mSv) is one of the important advantages of volumetric computed tomography. Currently, new studies are needed to assess the reproducibility of coronary calcium index calculation using a new generation of volumetric CT-scanners.