64 slice CT accurately predicts presence and severity of coronary artery disease

64 slice CT accurately predicts presence and severity of coronary artery disease

64 slice CT angiography accurately predicts presence and severity of coronary artery disease, says a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The study by Julie M. Miller and colleagues from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and 8 other centres spread over 7 countries concluded that CT angiography accurately identifies the presence and severity of significant coronary artery disease (more than 50% narrowing) and subsequent revascularization (angioplasty or bypass operation) in symptomatic patients. The sensitivity of the test was 85% while specificity was 90%. The positive predictive value was 91% while the negative predictive value was lower at 83%. These values indicate that CT angiography cannot replace conventional coronary angiography at present. It is noteworthy that two patients had significant reactions to contrast medium used for CT angiography. The study involved direct comparison of 64 row, 0.5 mm CT angiography with conventional coronary angiography in 291 patients with calcium scores of 600 or less.