Coronary computed tomographic angiography: current and future uses.

Coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) is a direct but minimally invasive method of visualizing coronary arteries. Acceptable indications for this technique include the assessment of suspected or known coronary artery anomalies, the evaluation of chest pain syndromes in patients with non diagnostic stress tests or who are unable to exercise, and exclusion of an ischemic etiology in patients with unexplained left ventricular dysfunction. Assessment of coronary stents with a diameter of <3.0 mm and imaging of asymptomatic patients with a goal of establishing prognosis are currently not accepted indications for CCTA.