Computed Tomography in Congenital Heart Disease: Clinical Applications and Technical Considerations.

ABSTRACT

Computed tomography (CT) is increasingly applied as an aid to clinical decision making in congenital heart disease (CHD) with regard to surgery, interventional catheterizations, and follow-up. It is particularly useful for the assessment of vascular and airway abnormalities. Updated knowledge of CT imaging techniques is mandatory not only for the optimization of image acquisition protocols, but also for the postprocessing reconstruction and interpretation of CT findings. The purpose of this article was to review the clinical indications, techniques, and dose reduction methods for CT imaging in children and adults with CHD. Relevant discussion and illustrations of common forms of CHD evaluated by CT are presented.