Photon-Counting Detector Computed Tomography (PCD-CT): A New Era for Cardiovascular Imaging? Current Status and Future Outlooks

Abstract

Photon-counting detector computed tomography (PCD-CT) represents a revolutionary new generation of computed tomography (CT) for the imaging of patients with cardiovascular diseases. Since its commercial market introduction in 2021, numerous studies have identified advantages of this new technology in the field of cardiovascular imaging, including improved image quality due to an enhanced contrast-to-noise ratio, superior spatial resolution, reduced artifacts, and a reduced radiation dose. The aim of this narrative review was to discuss the current scientific literature, and to find answers to the question of whether PCD-CT has yet led to a true step-change and significant progress in cardiovascular imaging.

Keywords

• cardiovascular diseases
• imaging
• computed tomography (CT)
• coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA)
• photon-counting detector CT (PCD-CT)