The pictures are subsequently analyzed at a workstation; © beta-web
Until now, catheter-based coronary angiography was considered state-of-the-art for the diagnosis of coronary heart disease. The coronary blood vessels are examined with the help of a catheter. Yet this method is not without risk. An exam using a computer tomography scanner (CT) - the so-called CT coronary angiogram- represents a low-risk alternative.
Experts will discuss the pros and cons of coronary angiography and the CT-based method during the MEDICA EDUCATION CONFERENCE on Tuesday.
Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a disease resulting from a narrowing of the coronary arteries due to fat and calcium deposits. Until now, the most reliable method to detect these types of narrowings was the so-called coronary angiography. Here a catheter is threaded through an artery in the groin or arm into the heart and injected with a contrast agent. X-rays subsequently make the coronary arteries visible.
There are various risks with conventional cardiac catheterization. First of all, this is an invasive procedure. The catheter insertion can already cause injuries and trigger hemorrhages or aneurysms. During the course of the procedure with the catheter, plaques might loosen in the aorta and the coronary vessel might get damaged. The catheter might also trigger cardiac arrhythmia all the way to ventricular fibrillation, heart attack or strokes. "That’s why a coronary angiogram procedure should only be performed after very careful consideration," explains Professor Jörg Barkhausen, Director of the Clinic for Radiology and Nuclear Medicine at the University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein and a member of the MEDICA EDUCATION CONFERENCE program committee for radiology and nuclear medicine.
With the software physicians are able to analyze single coronary blood vessels; © beta-web
© Barbara From-
The article was conducted by Melanie Günther and translated from German by Elena O'Meara.