Dear readers,
Myocardial tissue characterization has traditionally relied on cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), which is widely regarded as the reference standard for differentiating ischemic from non-ischemic myocardial fibrosis and providing important prognostic information. However, remarkable advances in cardiac CT technology—including dual-source scanners, wide detector coverage, iterative reconstruction algorithms, dual-energy imaging, and photon-counting CT—have expanded its role well beyond coronary artery assessment, enabling accurate myocardial tissue characterization and broadening its application to a wide range of cardiac disorders.
This fascinating and rapidly evolving application of cardiac CT is the focus of Prof. Loewe’s review featured in this month’s Newsletter. While acknowledging the established role of CMR, the review highlights the unique advantages of cardiac CT, including its short acquisition time, high spatial resolution, and the ability to combine myocardial tissue characterization with highly accurate coronary artery visualization within a single examination. These capabilities provide both qualitative and quantitative biomarkers for myocardial assessment, including iodine and extracellular volume mapping, myocardial blood flow quantification, and functional assessment of the hemodynamic significance of coronary stenoses. The review also discusses the future potential of cardiac CT, together with practical considerations and the current limitations of this innovative approach.
The review is complemented by insights from a recently published book chapter that further emphasizes the growing role of cardiac CT for myocardial tissue characterization and its potential to become a first-line imaging modality in selected clinical settings.
Finally, a particularly instructive clinical case illustrates how contemporary cardiac CT enables myocardial tissue characterization within a single examination, highlighting the integration of coronary artery assessment, myocardial tissue characterization, and functional evaluation in routine clinical practice.
As always, we welcome suggestions for topics to be addressed in future issues of this Newsletter: please feel free to contact us at editorial@mdct.net.
From the MDCT.net team
