Ultrafast computed tomography of the heart.

Recent cardiovascular morphologic studies focus on direct innovative ultrafast CT applications in detecting coronary calcifications and assessing pericardial diseases. In functional studies, quantitation of regional and global indicators of myocardial function and structure, such as wall thickness or thickening, volume, and mass, can be performed using ultrafast CT and MR imaging with similar approaches. Recent ultrafast CT developments illustrate the fact that cardiac tomographic imaging is evolving rapidly. The production of three-dimensional images from tomography, which is still uncommon, has enhanced resolution and wall motion analysis. Applications will have a major impact on the knowledge of cardiac physiology and the understanding of cardiovascular diseases, if not in daily patient care. Further developments in computer-automated analysis from cardiac ultrafast CT or MR images must be carried out to gain clinical acceptance and to facilitate the routine and consistent measurements of the parameters of cardiac function.