Abstract
To fully utilize the advantages of cardiac CT angiography (CTA), it is important to consider radiation exposure and optimize scanning techniques. Recent advances in multidetector CT technology have revolutionized cardiovascular imagining in children with complex congenital heart disease. Electrocardiographically (ECG)-gated cardiac CTA is the modality of choice for infants with congenital heart disease for imaging coronary arteries, the airway, and extracardiac vascular structures. Fast scanning times and high spatial resolution evaluation of both complex cardiac and coronary anatomy have enabled CTA to aid in patient management and treatment planning. Two common cardiac CTA scanning techniques for infants and children with heart disease are currently used: retrospective and prospective ECG-gated scanning. Prospective scanning should be performed whenever possible, to decrease the radiation dose.