CT reshapes imaging in the heart and beyond

New imaging technologies and applications sometimes slide into practice without making many ripples. It takes a while for imagers to widely adopt the latest advance, or the protocols haven't been worked out yet, or it essentially allows imagers to do the same things they did before, but with more clarity or speed.

Cardiovascular CT, by contrast, seems to be making the sort of cannonball splash that's hard to miss. This supplement to Diagnostic Imaging is the first in a two-part series to evaluate how CT is changing cardiovascular imaging. In the following pages, we look at CT's role in peripheral vessel imaging and interventional planning. While two specialties are vying for the right to perform and interpret the studies made possible by the latest generations of CT scanners, we look at the education necessary to make those reads accurate, and how enterprising radiologists, in turn, are trying to educate their referral base in order to build up a new practice niche.

Keep an eye out for Part 2 in February, which will look at plaque evaluation, trauma, and the all-important question of securing reimbursement.