Cardiac CT in Valvular Heart Disease: Current State-of-the-Art

With recent advances in image acquisition, technique, and radiation dose reduction, multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) is emerging as a viable adjunct to echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance in cardiac valvular imaging. We discuss the various potential roles of MDCT in the assessment of patients with valvular heart disease in this article. MDCT assessment of cardiac valvular function and pathology, specifically in the setting of minimally invasive/percutaneous valvular procedures, is invaluable as a preoperative planning tool. With the rapid growth and widespread use of minimally invasive/percutaneous valvular procedures, the role of tomographic imaging, especially MDCT is likely to grow exponentially.