Imaging of Cardiac and Paracardiac Masses and Pseudotumors

Abstract

Although the use of computed tomography (CT) in cardiac imaging mainly focuses on coronary artery disease and its sequelae, there are many more indications in which CT can provide excellent and valuable information. This has already been reported based on studies with electron beam CT (EBCT). The rapidly emerging and vastly growing interest and knowledge in cardiac CT today is mainly caused by the development and widespread use of multidetector-row CT (MDCT) systems. Initially introduced in 1992 (Elscint CT-Twin), MDCT led toa more widespread use of CT in cardiac imaging, starting with 4-row MDCT. Within recent years, further technical developments have led to the use of 8-, 16-, and 64-row MDCT systems. Cardiac imaging has been one of the major and most exciting focuses of MDCT since then. Although the focus of interest in cardiac MDCT is again coronary artery disease and its prevention, most of the information provided by EBCT can also be revealed by MDCT (1, 2, 3, 4)_.