Multi-detector row CT coronary angiography in patients with cardiomyopathy -- initial single-centre experience

AIMS: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of computed tomography (CT) in assessing haemodynamically significant coronary artery stenoses in patients with cardiomyopathy (CM). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Eighteen patients with CM were approached to undergo CT coronary angiography to evaluate the use of this technique for investigating the presence of significant coronary artery disease (CAD), and also to compare the findings with catheter angiography. RESULTS: On a segment-by-segment analysis the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values in the CM group were 66.7, 96.5, 40 and 98.8%, respectively, with 100% accuracy in "whole-patient terms". CONCLUSION: Non-invasive, 16-detector row CT coronary angiography in patients with presumed CM would seem to be a useful clinical tool for the exclusion of significant coronary artery disease. However, the presence of suboptimal contrast opacification in this patient group means that the implication of these results must be interpreted with caution.