Influence of coronary computed tomography-angiography on patient management

AIM: To evaluate how coronary computed tomography-angiography (CCTA) altered the management and treatment of patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD). METHODS: During 2009, we studied 792 consecutive patients with suspected CAD. CCTA was performed in all patients using a 64-slice dual-source CT scanner and standard scanning protocols. RESULTS: After CCTA, obstructive CAD was excluded in 666 patients. During the 12-month clinical follow-up, 98.6% of these patients were free of major adverse cardiac events. Also, the indication for cardiac catheterization (CC) was revoked in 77.2% of patients. It was also revoked in all patients with low Morise pre-test risk, 80.7% with intermediate risk, and 72.6% with high risk. Medical therapy was changed in 54.7% of patients with confirmed CAD. CONCLUSION: CCTA can reliably exclude significant CAD not only in patients with low and moderate risk, but also in those with high risk. It can also reliably replace CC in the majority of elective patients regardless of risk stratification. It can also be useful in risk reclassification and optimization of medical therapy in patients with CAD.