REVIEW

Three-dimensional CT scanning: a new diagnostic modality in congenital heart disease

Phalla Ou¹, David S Celermajer², Giulio Calcagni³, Francis Brunelle¹, Damien Bonnet³, Daniel Sidi³

¹ University René Descartes–Paris 5, Department of Paediatric Radiology, Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, AP-HP, Paris, France
² Department of Medicine, University of Sydney, Australia
³ Department of Paediatric Cardiology, Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, AP-HP, Paris, France

Correspondence to:
Dr P Ou
University René Descartes–Paris 5, Department of Paediatric Radiology, Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades; 149, rue de Sèvres, 75743 Paris, Cedex 15, France; phalla.ou{at}nck.ap-hop-paris.fr

New generation multislice CT technology has changed the approach to non-invasive assessment of congenital heart disease, in both paediatric and adult patients. This is mainly because of rapid advances in spatial and temporal resolution and in post-processing capability. At Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, CT with multiplanar and three-dimensional reconstruction has become a routine examination in the evaluation of congenital heart disease planning surgery, complex interventional catheterisations and for follow-up. It has proved to be an invaluable diagnostic and decision-aiding methodology in these situations, as a complement to echocardiography and, increasingly, as a substitute for diagnostic angiography (which is usually associated with higher-dose radiation and longer sedation times, as well as occasional morbidity). This review illustrates the current status of 64-slice CT in congenital heart diseases, including assessment of the aorta, the coronary arteries, the pulmonary arteries, the systemic and pulmonary veins, and other intra- and extracardiac malformations.

Keywords: computed tomography; paediatric imaging; congenital heart disease

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