The high-quality images produced by imaging techniques such as CT are a vital diagnostic tool in cardiovascular disease. This new edition offers GPs and cardiologists dedicated chapters on intravascular ultrasound and other cutting-edge techniques.

New dedicated chapters on intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), catheter angiography, and nuclear imaging, with some discussions on theoretical techniques such as optical coherence tomography (OCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

1 Clinical Anatomy of the Coronary Circulation.- 2 Basic Techniques in the Acquisition of Cardiac Images with CT.- 3 Examination of the Coronary Arteries.- 4 Image Reconstruction.- 5 Coronary Pathophysiology.- 6 Clinical Classification of Coronary Artery Disease: Who Should Be Treated?.- 7 Intravascular Ultrasound: From Gray-Scale to Virtual Histology.- 8 Identification and Characterization of the Atherosclerotic Plaque Using Coronary CT Angiography.- 9 Coronary CT Angiography: Evaluation of Stenosis and Occlusion.- 10 Current Strategies in Cardiac Surgery.- 11 Coronary CT Angiography: Evaluation of Coronary Artery Bypass Grafts.- 12 Coronary Stents.- 13 CT Angiography of Coronary Stents.- 14 X-Ray Exposure in Coronary CT Angiography.- 15 Optical Coherence Tomography in the Cathlab.- 16 Triple Rule Out: The Use of Cardiac CT in the Emergency Room.- 17 Contraindications to Coronary CT Angiography.- 18 Prognostic Value of Coronary CT.- 19 Clinical Cases.

In non-fatal cases, cardiovascular diseases are associated with a decreased quality of life as well as a substantial economic burden to society. Most sudden cardiac events are related to the complications of a non-stenosing marginal plaque. For this reason, the ability to properly identify the atherosclerotic plaque with rapid, non-invasive techniques is of utmost clinical interest in diagnostic workup and therapeutic planning of symptomatic patient. Nowadays CT produces high-quality images of the coronary arteries, in addition to defining their location and the extent of the atherosclerotic involvement. This new edition is enriched with two important additions. Firstly, dedicated chapters on intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), catheter angiography, and nuclear imaging have been included, with some discussions on theoretical techniques such as optical coherence tomography (OCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Secondly, a completely new section comprising more than 70 clinical casesremarkably expands the horizons reached by the previous edition. This volume provides general practitioners and cardiologists with a basic understanding of the imaging techniques. For radiologists with no direct experience in cardiac imaging, the book serves as an important source of information on coronary pathophysiology and anatomy.