[Cardiac CT-Scan: Utility for the management of chest pain, cardiovascular screening and before atrial fibrillation ablation procedure]

Abstract

Cardiac CT-scan is recommended for sorting patients presenting with stable or acute chest pain with low to intermediate risk of coronary artery disease (CAD). Recent studies have shown its reliability for diagnosing CAD in high-risk patients, notably those with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) without ST-elevation. Coronary CT-scan also represents a great opportunity for the screening of atherosclerosis in patients at risk and allows a better prevention of coronary artery disease by introduction of preventive treatments in patients with abnormal coronary CT-scan, especially statins. It is useful for the follow-up of patients who underwent a coronary arteries revascularization with either stents or bypasses. Coronary arteries calcium scoring appears to be an independent predictive factor of cardiovascular and total mortality and its use is recommended for stratifying the cardiovascular risk. However, its interpretation remains unobvious and the patient management is poorly improved by the results. Anyway, if the score is above zero, atherosclerosis is present and therefore a lipid lowering treatment should be discussed. Cardiac CT-scan has become the Gold Standard exam before an aortic valve replacement, for the measurement of the aortic root notably, allowing the best prothesis selection. Before atrial fibrillation ablation procedure by pulmonary vein isolation, the cardiac CT-scan allows a 3-D visualization of the two atria, especially the left atrium, and rules out any suspicion of cardiac thrombus. It allows the research of an anomalous pulmonary venous connection. The 3-D support will also enable the operator to navigate in the heart during the ablation procedure.

Keywords: Ablation de fibrillation auriculaire; Atherosclerosis; Athérosclérose; Atrial Fibrillation; Atrial Fibrillation Ablation; Calcium scoring; Cardiac scanner; Cardiovascular prevention; Coronary CT-Scan; Coronary artery disease; Coronary scanner; Coroscanner; Fibrillation auriculaire; Maladie coronaire; Prévention cardiovasculaire; Pulmonary vein isolation; Scanner cardiaque; Scanner coronaire; Score calcique; Veines pulmonaires.