Computed Tomography Evaluation of Coronary Atherosclerosis: The Road Travelled, and What Lies Ahead

Abstract

Coronary CT angiography (CCTA) is now endorsed by all major cardiology guidelines for the investigation of chest pain and assessment for coronary artery disease (CAD) in appropriately selected patients. CAD is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. There is extensive literature to support CCTA diagnostic and prognostic value both for stable and acute symptoms. It enables rapid and cost-effective rule-out of CAD, and permits quantification and characterization of coronary plaque and associated significance. In this comprehensive review, we detail the road traveled as CCTA evolved to include quantitative assessment of plaque stenosis and extent, characterization of plaque characteristics including high-risk features, functional assessment including fractional flow reserve-CT (FFR-CT), and CT perfusion techniques. The state of current guideline recommendations and clinical applications are reviewed, as well as future directions in the rapidly advancing field of CT technology, including photon counting and applications of artificial intelligence (AI).

Keywords

• coronary artery disease
• coronary computed tomography angiography
• coronary artery calcium scoring
• artificial intelligence