Computer-aided dx breaks through in cardiac CTA

Computer-aided detection software developed especially for coronary CT angiography could boost imagers' ability to rule out clinically relevant stenosis in patients at low to moderate risk of coronary artery disease, according to researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina.

Dr. Joseph Schoepf and colleagues enrolled 59 patients without a history of coronary artery disease who had chest pain or abnormal cardiac blood flow exams. All patients underwent catheter angiography and cardiac CTA with computer-aided detection on either a 64-slice or a second-generation dual-source scanner. The software identified patients at low risk for coronary disease, none of whom were found to have significant stenosis under catheter angiography.

The system helped improve workflow and reduce unnecessary hospital stays, Schoepf said. Results were published online Nov. 6 in European Radiology.