Wyoming Radiology &
MRI and Wyoming Radiology Associates is proud to announce the placement
of Sheridan’s first cardiac 64CT system. This high speed 64CT
system combines superior diagnostic accuracy with increased patient
comfort. With the ability to visualize the heart between beats by
acquiring nearly 200 thin slices per second, this highly advanced
64CT technology is now accepted by medical professionals as a significant
advance in the diagnosis of cardiac disease. The significant advantages
offered by 64CT technology include:
Reliable visualization
and quantification of fine anatomic structures
Higher resolution
images of the heart
Less intravenous
contrast administrations and shorter breath holds
3D reconstructions
of isotropic data giving remarkably clear 3D images of the heart
Reduced CT artifacts
allowing more accurate measurement of cardiac blood vessels
Shorter scan time
While 64CT technology
is also very useful in evaluating the brain, spine, abdomen and
pelvis, this high speed 64CT scanning technology enables “freeze-frame”
imaging of the heart. Using 64CT technology, Wyoming Radiology physicians
can now routinely evaluate fine detail of cardiac structures and
coronary vessels. Routine 64CT cardiac examinations include:
Coronary artery calcium
risk analysis
Coronary artery disease
evaluation, including fine evaluation of plaque morphology and
stenosis, as well as evaluation of coronary artery stents and
bypass grafts
Ventricular volume
and ejection fraction analysis
Cardiac wall motion
analysis
Evaluation of possible
congenital heart disease
Evaluation of possible
cardiac chamber blood clot or tumor
Evaluation of possible
damage caused by myocardial infarction (heart attack)
Evaluation of cardiac
veins, pulmonary arteries and the aorta
Wyoming Radiology
offers three levels of cardiac 64CT examinations.
Coronary artery calcification
scoring
Advanced evaluation
of the heart, including evaluation of coronary artery calcification
score, cardiac chambers, myocardium, coronary arteries and great
vessel.
Complete examination
of the heart, including evaluation of coronary artery calcification
score, cardiac chambers, myocardium, coronary arteries and great
vessels as well as detailed analysis of cardiac contractility,
chamber volume and pump function.
CORONARY ARTERY
CALCIFICATION SCORING
Our 64CT scanner can
obtain precise detailed images of the heart that demonstrate the
amount of calcium present in the arteries serving the heart –
a reliable measure of underlying heart disease. This simple, fast
and non-invasive test helps patients and their physicians evaluate
a person’s level of cardiac risk.
Disease in the arteries carrying blood to the heart from the lungs
(the coronary arteries) is caused by a buildup of degenerative material
in the vessel walls, a condition known as atherosclerosis. This
atherosclerotic hardening of the arteries starts as the deposition
of fatty plaques in the artery wall. As part of the body’s
healing reaction to this process, calcium is deposited in the fatty
plaques of the vessel wall. This calcium laden plaque in the heart’s
arterial vessels can be measured by sophisticated CT scanners and
can be correlated with the extent of underlying total atherosclerotic
disease. This total CT calcification score is a good indication
of the amount of calcified hardening of the heart’s arteries
(the coronary arteries), as well as the amount of underlying early
non-calcified fatty plaque in the heart’s (coronary) arteries.
The total CT calcification
score will be calculated for you with a reference to the range of
normal scores for your age range. Your report will also give individual
scores for the major heart (coronary) arteries. The report will
classify you into a disease category with some basic suggestions
about how to continue appropriate medical follow-up. While we do
not require a written order from a physician, we will require that
you provide us with the name of a primary physician to whom we can
send this information in a secure manner.
Wyoming Radiology and
MRI and Wyoming Radiology Associates are proud to bring this sophisticated
Toshiba 64CT scanner to Sheridan. This 64CT scanner employs the
most advanced multi-slice technology and has the fastest rotational
speed of any available 64CT scanner – thus optimizing fine
detail evaluation of the heart and coronary arteries.
Patients find 64CT coronary artery calcification score convenient
and fast:
Patients can remain
in street clothes.
No preparation to
drink and no IV needed.
No injections or blood
draws are required.
The entire examination
takes less than 5 minutes.
You and your physician
will have results within 24 hours.
No physician order
is necessary.
Appointments and walk-in
patients are welcome.
Who should
have this test?
Patients who are
concerned about their cardiac risk can refer themselves to Wyoming
Radiology and MRI or call our office for further information.
Physicians may also refer patients.
Those for whom the
benefit is most pronounced are men aged 35 to 65 and women age
40 to 70. Young adults will have less benefit from this test unless
there is a history of diabetes or a strong family history of heart
disease.
People with a history
of prior heart attack, heart surgery, or coronary stint placement
are not good candidates for this procedure. These patients are
better managed by more invasive stress testing vs. CT angiography
or conventional coronary angiography.
Patients may call
Wyoming Radiology and MRI at 307-673-XRAY (9729) to make and appointment
for Coronary Artery Calcification Scoring. Walk-in patients are
also welcome.
Advanced and Complete 64CT evaluation of the heart
Wyoming Radiology &
MRI and Wyoming Radiology Associates offer two types of detailed
cardiac 64CT examinations. These Advanced and Complete cardiac CT
examinations both provide detailed evaluation of the myocardium,
cardiac chambers, pericardium, coronary arteries and great vessels.
The complete 64CT examination requires a slightly higher radiation
dose but provides detailed evaluation of cardiac function including
wall motion analysis, ejection fraction and chamber volumes. Both
Advanced and Complete cardiac 64CT examinations require the administration
of iodine based intravenous material.
Both the advanced and
complete cardiac 64CT examinations are performed with only a peripheral
IV catheter and require intravenous injection of safe iodine based
contrast medium. Although the risks of intravenous contrast administration
and the radiation dose required for these advanced and complete
cardiac examinations are low, these cardiac examinations are only
performed with a physician’s order.
Although traditional
cardiac catheterization and echocardiography are still the preferred
test for many cardiac diseases, cardiac 64CT has been recognized
by the American College of Cardiology as useful for the following
situations:
Evaluation of chest
pain syndrome
Low or Intermediate pre-test probability
of coronary artery disease
ECG un-interpretable OR patient unable
to exercise
Evaluation of acute
chest pain
Low or Intermediate pre-test probability
of coronary artery disease
No ECG changes and serial enzymes negative
Un-interpretable or
equivocal stress test (exercise, perfusion or stress echocardiogram)
Evaluation of suspected
coronary artery anomalies
Evaluation of complex
congenital heart disease
Evaluation of coronary
arteries in patients with new onset heart failure to access etiology
Evaluation of cardiac
masses (chamber neoplasm or thrombus)
Evaluation of pericardial
disease
Pericardial mass
Constrictive pericarditis or other
complications of cardiac surgery
Evaluation of pulmonary
vein anatomy prior to radiofrequency ablation for arterial fibrillation
Non-invasive coronary
vein mapping prior to placement of biventricular pacemaker
Non-invasive coronary
arterial mapping prior to repeat cardiac surgical re-vascularization
Patients with technically
limited echocardiogram, MRI or Trans-esophageal echo examinations.
Patient Preparation
for Advanced and Complete Cardiac 64CT Examinations
Patients 50 + years
old are required to provide results of current renal function
(BUN and Creatinine) prior to the exam.
Patients taking glucophage
or glucovance must discontinue the medication for 48 hours after
the cardiac 64CT examination. Patients should not re-start the
medication until re-evaluation of renal function by your primary
car physician.
Patients who are allergic
to iodine, iodine based contrast materials (iodine dye), shellfish,
or latex should obtain pre-medication prior to the cardiac 64CT
examination.
For many cardiac 646CT
examinations, a beta blocker drug may be administered to slow
the heart beat for optimal image detail. Patients are asked to
report any cardiac and/or cardiopulmonary conditions that they
may have.
Patients will need
to bring a complete list of current medications prior to the cardiac
64CT examination.
