New Coronary Diagnostic Imaging Methods at CETAC
With the advance of diagnostic and therapeutic medicine, heart diseases have been receiving more and more attention from those cardiologists who, in partnership with public institutions’ prophylactic and socio-educational measures, have achieved a surprising victory over the mortality and mobility provoked by this special group of diseases.
CETAC’s Diagnostic Imaging Center has been actively participating in this process, acquiring cutting-edge equipment that can guarantee reliable results with the maximum of patient comfort. The following procedures are now being performed at CETAC’s Imaging Center.
Coronary Angiotomography
An advanced method of evaluating coronary artery diseases that, via a non-invasive exam carried out by an ultra-modern computed tomography scanner, which produces 184 images per second, allows evaluation of the coronary anatomy, analyses bypasses, mammary artery grafts and stents, as well as diseases of the myocardium itself.
During the exam, the patient should have a heart rate of around 60 beats per minute. For higher heart rates, medication is administered to stabilise and reduce the heartbeat. While carrying out the exam, around 90ml of iodinated contrast agent is injected into the patient and 800 images of the entire heart are analysed, allowing the organ to be observed in high-definition three-dimensional movement.
Cardiac Calcium Score
Cardiac Calcium Scoring, an examination carried out via computed tomography, quantifies the amount of calcium plaques in the arteries of the heart. It is performed without intravenous contrast injection and determines whether the patient is more or less likely to suffer from disease of the heart arteries that can lead to myocardial infarction. This diagnostic procedure, performed in about 2 minutes, is used as a screening method in the search for coronary heart disease. If the calcium content is high, the cardiologist may choose to continue investigating and prevent a possible acute myocardial infarction.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the Heart
A method established for evaluating the myocardium, or heart muscle. The exam is now considered the gold standard in assessing the extent of myocardial infarction, assisting the doctor in determining the best treatment to be employed. Apart from myocardial infarction, the test is recommended for the detection of changes in blood flow, heart valves, research of dilated cardiomyopathy (enlarged heart), myocardial hypertrophy, heart failure of unknown origin, aneurysms, myocardial dysfunction, and infiltrative diseases, such as amyloidosis and endomyocardial fibrosis.
For more information, please consult your doctor.
