Computed tomography (CT) is a test that gives doctors a truly three-dimensional picture of how a patient’s coronary arteries run along the surface of the heart relatively noninvasively. This test is the latest advance in the effort to map blockages in coronary arteries.
With a stress echo, a cardiologist is able to demonstrate the likelihood of a blocked artery based on how the heart responds to exercise. CT angiography can give cardiologists a clearer picture of the actual blockage through 3 dimensional reconstructions of the arteries. Eventually, this cutting-edge improvement may reduce the number of patients who need invasive testing, such as an angiogram.