CT-based calcium scoring to screen for coronary artery disease: why aren't we there yet?

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this article is to examine the value of coronary artery calcium scoring as a screening tool for identifying individuals at risk of experiencing a catastrophic coronary event.

CONCLUSION

Because of the noninvasive nature of CT and the large societal burden of coronary atherosclerosis, there is great interest in developing CT-based techniques for detection of coronary artery calcium, a known marker of underlying atherosclerosis. However, important questions remain including the role of calcium in the process of acute plaque rupture, the utility of this technique in the asymptomatic population, and the statistical distribution of calcium scores and hard cardiac events in the general population.